Let’s Find Common Ground

When conservative Republican Mark Klicker and liberal Democrat Alex Ramel met in person for the first time, their opinions about each other rapidly changed. A frosty online exchange of policy differences over Zoom quickly turned into a constructive example of close bipartisan cooperation.  After Washington State eased COVID restrictions and resumed in-person legislative sessions last year, Representatives Ramel and Klicker worked together on a renewable energy tax bill. The state legislation has just become law. Much of tax revenues from wind and solar will now go to the communities where renewable energy is produced. The bill was designed to answer some potential local objections to renewable energy projects and to make progress on combating climate change.  In this episode, both legislators tell us that online legislative sessions were a barrier to bridging differences and finding common ground.  What had been missing during months of online meetings were moments of eye contact and the opportunity to establish informal, in-person contact. We hear more about their legislation, finding common ground on the environment, and their friendship across partisan divides.

CPF Executive Director Kamy Akhavan joins Democratic campaign strategist Addisu Demissie and former Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus for a conversation on the 2024 presidential race. With Election Day on November 7, the discussion explores the election’s potential impact on control of Congress, state legislatures, governorships, and the 2024 presidential race. Featuring:  Addisu Demissie: Principal and Founder of 50+1 Strategies; Fall 2023 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future Reince Priebus: Former White House Chief of Staff and Chairman of the Republican National Committee; Fall 2023 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future Kamy Akhavan: Executive Director, Center for the Political Future

Violent threats against members of Congress are up, and hate crimes have increased to the highest levels ever recorded. Fear is being used as a tool by both Republicans and Democrats to win votes.  In this episode, we speak with Rachel Kleinfeld, a fellow in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.  Rachel says people talking across differences isn’t enough to end polarization, even if it can create goodwill and lower the temperature in the short term: there needs to be institutional change and politicians who come together to defend democratic norms. A recent podcast guest in the UK told us it sometimes seems like the US is on the verge of civil war. Rachel says this is unlikely. As someone who grew up in Alaska among neighbors firing the occasional warning shot from their yards, Rachel knows firsthand that ‘threats and justification for violence are not the same as attacks.’

CPF's inaugural discussion of our Combating Antisemitism and Hatred Series features CPF Director Bob Shrum, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bret Stephens, and former Los Angeles elected official Zev Yaroslavksy. The series explores the struggle against antisemitism in the context of countering hate, reducing violence, promoting empathy, and nurturing civil dialogue.   Featuring:  William Deverell: Divisional Dean for the Social Sciences, USC Dornsife Bret Stephens: Opinion Columnist for The New York Times; Editor-in-Chief of Sapir  Zev Yaroslavsky: Former Los Angeles County Supervisor, District 3 Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

Rory Stewart, former elected politician and senior British government minister, discusses threats to democracy, the division in US and UK politics, and the importance of finding common ground in governing complex societies. He explores the rise of isolationism in the US under Joe Biden and reflects on the impact of social media on society. Stewart emphasizes the need for openness, humility, and dialogue in politics, along with the benefits of direct cash assistance in poverty alleviation.

For the 2023 USC Trojan Family Weekend, CPF Co-Directors and veteran political strategists Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy participate in an insightful and entertaining discussion on the latest political news.   Featuring:  Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife Mike Murphy: Co-Director, Center for the Political Future; NBC Political Analyst

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins a panel of public health experts for a discussion on post-pandemic health inequities in America.   Featuring:  Sofia Gruskin: Director, USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health  Sujeet Rao: Former Senior Policy Advisor, White House COVID-19 Response Team; Director, USC Dornsife Public Exchange Health and Wellbeing Practice  Dr. Bradley Stoner: Head of the Department of Public Health Sciences, Queens University; Former President of the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

What a time to try and fix Congress. But that’s what our guests on this episode are determined to do. This show features two politicians from the newly launched Fix Congress caucus. Reps Derek Kilmer (D-Wa) and William Timmons (R-SC), first appeared on our show last year as members of the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress. The stakes were high when we recorded this latest interview: the budget deficit had once more taken center stage, and the countdown to a possible government shutdown was underway. These members of Congress are frustrated but also hopeful. They discuss dealing with the vast amount of federal government debt, the support congressional leaders have shown for their efforts, and how technology can play a part in fostering bipartisanship.

CPF Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy join Fall 2023 CPF Fellows Arnon Mishkin and Reince Priebus for a conversation on polling and its ability or inability to predict voting outcomes as the 2024 presidential race approaches. Featuring: Arnon Mishkin: Political Analyst and Director of the Fox News Election Decision Team; Fall 2023 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future Reince Priebus: Former White House Chief of Staff and Chairman of the Republican National Committee; Fall 2023 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife Mike Murphy: Co-Director, Center for the Political Future; NBC Political Analyst

When we consider the meaning of citizenship, most Americans usually think about individual rights. In this episode, we hear a bold call for change. Our guest, Richard Haass, says that if democracy is to survive, we must re-envision citizenship and consider our obligations to one another.  He argues that the greatest threat the country faces comes not from foreign adversaries but from none other than ourselves. Finding common ground and healing bitter divides, he says, requires placing obligations on the same footing as rights. "We get the government and the country we deserve. Getting the one we need is up to us." A highly experienced diplomat and policymaker, Dr. Haass served in the Pentagon, State Department, and White House under four Presidents, Democrat and Republican alike. His new book is "The Bill of Obligations. The Ten Habits of Good Citizens". For 20 years Richard Haass was president of the nonpartisan Council on Foreign Relations. Today he serves as CFR's president emeritus.