Let's Find Common Ground

CPF and USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences host the annual Warschaw Lecture Series examining "The Influence of Jewish Values and Faith in American Public Life," bringing together perspectives that highlight how faith traditions inform public service, policy, and civic life. This discussion features United States Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) in conversation with USC Dornsife Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs Richard Fliegel. They discuss how Senator Slotkin's faith informs her public service and current events in U.S. and international politics. Featuring: - Elissa Slotkin: U.S. Senator (D-MI) - Richard Fliegel: USC Dornsife Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs - James Bullock: USC Dornsife Dean

CPF hosts a conversation on free speech in the United States with former ACLU President Nadine Strossen and USC Gould Dean Franita Tolson. They discuss free speech law, misconceptions, and how First Amendment conflicts shape politics, the courts, and civil liberties. This conversation is in partnership with Voices for Liberty, USC Gould School of Law, USC Heterodox Academy, USC Price School of Public Policy, and the USC Open Dialogue Project. Featuring: - Nadine Strossen: Former President, ACLU; Member, Council on Foreign Relations; Professor, New York Law School - Franita Tolson: Dean, USC Gould School of Law; Former Election Law Analyst, CNN; Election Law Expert - Neeraj Sood: Director, USC Open Dialogue Project; USC Professor - Andrew T. Guzman: Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, USC

Former Los Angeles Controller Ron Galperin moderates a conversation with political experts David Crane, Bob Hertzberg, and Richard Leib on how California's tax structure compares nationally. They discuss whether the state's high revenue levels translate into effective public and private outcomes, and what reforms could better align fiscal policy with performance. CPF Managing Director Kamy Akhavan gives closing remarks. This conversation is part of CPF's "California at 175: Stuck or Moving Forward?" conference in partnership with the USC Open Dialogue Project and USC Casden Institute. Featuring: -David Crane: Co-Founder and President, Govern for California -Bob Hertzberg: Former Speaker, California State Assembly; Former Majority Leader, California State Senate -Richard Leib: Chair, Board of UC Regents; President and CEO, Dunleer Strategies -Ron Galperin: Former Controller, City of Los Angeles; Former Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future -Kamy Akhavan: Managing Director, USC Center for the Political Future

POLITICO's Melanie Mason moderates a conversation with political experts Douglas Becker, Susan Estrich, Ken Khachigian, and Hank Plante on the history of political parties in California, voter trends from the 2024 presidential election, how the "Trump factor" affects Democrats and Republicans, and the upcoming 2026 midterms. This conversation is part of CPF's "California at 175: Stuck or Moving Forward?" conference in partnership with the USC Open Dialogue Project and USC Casden Institute. Featuring: -Douglas Becker: Professor of International Relations, USC -Susan Estrich: Legal Expert; Political Strategist -Ken Khachigian: Aide to President Nixon; Chief Speechwriter for President Reagan -Hank Plante: Peabody and Emmy Award Winning Journalist; Former Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future -Melanie Mason: California Bureau Chief and Co-Author of POLITICO's California Playbook

CPF's "California at 175: Stuck or Moving Forward?" conference begins with welcome remarks from CPF Co-Director Mike Murphy, CPF Managing Director Kamy Akhavan, and Neeraj Sood, USC Open Dialogue Project Director. Spring 2026 CPF Fellow Seema Mehta moderates a conversation with political experts Mike Bonin, Fernando Guerra, Mike Murphy, and Amy Thoma Tan on the 2026 ballot initiatives in California. They discuss the most impactful ballot measures in California history, how Democrats and Republicans utilize ballot initiatives, and the initiatives in the upcoming 2026 midterms. This conference is in partnership with the USC Open Dialogue Project and USC Casden Institute. Featuring: -Mike Bonin: Director, CSULA Pat Brown Institute; Former Member, Los Angeles City Council; Former Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future -Fernando Guerra: Director, LMU Center for the Study of Los Angeles -Mike Murphy: Co-Director, USC Center for the Political Future -Amy Thoma Tan: President, Cobalt Public Affairs -Seema Mehta: Veteran Political Reporter, Los Angeles Times; Spring 2026 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future -Kamy Akhavan: Managing Director, USC Center for the Political Future -Neeraj Sood: Director, USC Open Dialogue Project

CPF hosts a conversation with attorney and legal scholar Jonathan Turley and USC Professor Morris Levy about Turley's new book, "Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution." They discuss the crisis of faith in American institutions, how key lessons from history can guide us through today's radical reform and political instability, and how the state of politics today affects democracy and freedom in the future. This conversation is in partnership with the USC Open Dialogue Project and the USC chapter of the Heterodox Academy. Featuring: -Jonathan Turley: Attorney and Legal Scholar; Author, "Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution" and "The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in the Age of Rage" -Morris Levy: USC Professor of Political Science and International Relations; Immigration and Voting Policy Expert -Neeraj Sood: USC Open Dialogue Project Founder; USC Professor -Kamy Akhavan: Managing Director, USC Center for the Political Future

Spring 2026 CPF Fellow Seema Mehta joins redistricting experts Christian Grose, Paul Mitchell, Matt Rexroad, and Amy Thoma Tan for a conversation on Prop 50, redistricting, and the future of representation in the United States. They discuss the history of redistricting, California's Proposition 50, Texas's redistricting bill, and how this influences political power, changing political norms, and the upcoming 2026 midterms. This conversation is part of Mehta's study group "Politics, Polls, and Punditry — the Inner Workings of Modern-Day Campaigns." Featuring: -Christian Grose: Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, USC; Director, Democracy and Fair Elections Lab at USC Dornsife -Paul Mitchell: Democratic Redistricting Strategist -Matt Rexroad: GOP Redistricting Strategist -Amy Thoma Tan: President, Cobalt Public Affairs -Seema Mehta: Veteran National & State Reporter, Los Angeles Times; Spring 2026 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future -Diego Andrades: Assistant Director, USC Center for the Political Future

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins James Cleverly, former UK Secretary of State for the Home Department, for a conversation on the past, present, and future of US-UK relations. They discuss how leadership transitions, elections, and global crises shape cooperation between Washington and London, and what the next chapter of this transatlantic relationship may hold. This conversation is in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Featuring: - James Cleverly: British Conservative Politician; Member of Parliament for Braintree; Former UK Secretary of State for the Home Department; Former Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for Education; Army Reserve Officer - Bob Shrum: Director, USC Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins Spring 2026 CPF Fellows Mark Campbell, Yemisi Egbewole, Garret Graves, and Seema Mehta for a discussion on the current state of politics today. They discuss the 2026 midterms, the Trump Administration's impact on the upcoming elections and media, ICE raids, and how the Democrats and Republicans are approaching the midterms. The conversation also explores the Fellows' study groups and their wide-ranging careers in politics and public service. Featuring:

USC Annenberg Media Center Director Christina Bellantoni leads a panel discussion with political and media experts Mark Campbell, Jon Favreau, John Heilemann, and Seema Mehta on the 2026 midterms. They discuss what to expect as we approach the 2026 midterms, what Democrats and Republicans need to do to reach voters, and the political implications of the 2025 special elections on the 2026 midterms. The panel ends with closing remarks from CPF Director Bob Shrum and USC Dornsife Dean James Bullock. This conversation is part of CPF's annual Warschaw Conference on Practical Politics "America 250: Young or Old Democracy?" Featuring:

POLITICO Enterprise Managing Editor Sasha Issenberg leads a panel discussion with political experts Jim DeBoo, Christian Grose, David Simas, and Amy Thoma Tan on redistricting and whether it's getting too partisan. They discuss the state of redistricting nationally, the California Prop. 50 results, and how the results impact Democrats and Republicans moving forward. This conversation is part of CPF's annual Warschaw Conference on Practical Politics "America 250: Young or Old Democracy?" Featuring:

This panel discussion from CPF's annual Warschaw Conference on Practical Politics "America 250: Young or Old Democracy?" begins with welcome remarks from CPF Director Bob Shrum and USC Interim President Beong-Soo Kim. Then CNN Anchor Elex Michaelson leads the panel discussion with political experts Mike Donilon, Ed Goeas, Jeffery Jenkins, and Richard North Patterson on the state of American democracy. They discuss how democracy drives voters, key lessons from history that are most helpful in today's political climate, and what to expect from Democrats and Republicans as we approach the 2028 presidential election. Featuring:

CPF Co-Director Mike Murphy leads a panel discussion with political and media experts Tad Devine, Shaniqua McClendon, Neera Tanden, and Raúl Torrez on whether Democrats can make a comeback. They discuss what Zohran Mamdani's electoral victory means for Democrats, the government shutdown, California Governor Gavin Newsom as a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, and the 2028 presidential election. This conversation is part of CPF's annual Warschaw Conference on Practical Politics "America 250: Young or Old Democracy?" Featuring:

CPF's annual Warschaw Conference on Practical Politics "America 250: Young or Old Democracy?" begins with welcome remarks from CPF Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy, and William Deverell, USC Dornsife Divisional Dean for the Social Sciences. Then Shrum talks with Dick Gephardt, former Democratic Leader for the U.S. House of Representatives, on how Democrats and Republicans in Congress can reach across the aisle to work together. Featuring:

For the 2025 USC Trojan Family Weekend, CPF Co-Directors and veteran political strategists Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy host a conversation on the 2025 election results and the latest political headlines. They discuss the 2025 California special election, 2025 New York City mayoral election, and analyze the election results across the nation and what it means for Democrats and Republicans. Featuring:

CPF Co-Director Mike Murphy joins voting experts Mike Madrid, Chuck Rocha, and Helen Torres for a discussion on Latino voters, the fastest-growing voting bloc in the country. They discuss shifts in Latino voting patterns, what to expect from Latino voters in the upcoming elections, and how Democrats and Republicans can connect with the Latino voting community for the 2026 midterms and beyond. Featuring:

Hear young USC alumni discuss their work in the nonprofit field. What fueled their success? How do they raise money? What impact are their efforts having? These inspirational and educational stories come from students who took the USC Dornsife Toolkit course "Doing Good: How to Start and Run a Successful Nonprofit Organization" CPF Managing Director Kamy Akhavan serves as the proud moderator of his former students. Gain valuable insights into nonprofit career opportunities. Featuring:

CPF Managing Director Kamy Akhavan joins gun safety activist Shannon Watts and environmental protection activist Benji Backer for a discussion on civic engagement, lessons from activism, and how to utilize your passion to enact social change. They discuss their books, how to work across the aisle to drive progress on causes, and how to build movements while reducing political polarization. This discussion is part of CPF’s Dialogue Across Difference series. Featuring: - Benji Backer: CEO & Founder, Nature is Nonpartisan; Author of "The Conservative Environmentalist: Common Sense Solutions for a Sustainable Future" - Shannon Watts: Founder, Moms Demand Action; Author of "Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark Into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age" and "Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World;" Former Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future - Kamy Akhavan: Managing Director, USC Center for the Political Future

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins legal experts Franita Tolson, Jeffrey Toobin, and Alexander “Sasha” Volokh for a discussion on the role and state of the judiciary today. They discuss the role of the courts in safeguarding checks and balances, the James Comey indictment, and how Donald Trump and his administration affect the Supreme Court. This event was in partnership with the USC Gould School of Law. Featuring:

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins former U.S. Senator Joe Manchin for a talk on his new memoir, "Dead Center: In Defense of Common Sense." They discuss Manchin's decision to become an independent, his public service and White House experiences, and the importance of bipartisanship today. This event, part of CPF's Jeff and Sue White Dialogue Series, was in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Featuring: - Joe Manchin: Former U.S. Senator from West Virginia - Bob Shrum: Director, USC Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife