CPF Director Bob Shrum joins Paulist Productions Vice President Father Tom Gibbons and USC Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies President Richard Wood for a discussion on the politics of the conclave to select Pope Francis' successor. They discuss how the next Pope will be selected, what are the political calculations involved in the selection process, and how the Catholic Church under new leadership could and should influence the world.

Featuring:

• Father Tom Gibbons: Catholic Priest; Vice President, Paulist Productions; Creator of the TV program “Isaac Hecker and the Journey of Catholic America”; Former Administrator of St. Peter's Church in Toronto, Canada
• Richard Wood: President of the USC Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies; Expert in religion and democracy; Author of "A Shared Future: Faith-Based Organizing for Racial Equity and Ethical Democracy" and "Faith in Action: Religion, Race, and Democratic Organizing in America"
• Bob Shrum: Director, USC Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins renowned foreign policy experts Ben Rhodes and Max Boot for a discussion on pathways to peace in the Middle East. They discuss the current conflicts in the Middle East, the prospects of a two-state or single state solution, the future of Gaza, and the role of the U.S. in ending the conflicts and fostering a peace process. This event is part of the CPF "Combating Antisemitism and Other Forms of Hatred" series.   Featuring:

• Max Boot: Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow in National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations; Author of New York Times Bestsellers "The Road Not Taken" and "Reagan: His Life and Legend"
• Ben Rhodes: Former Deputy National Security Advisor; Co-founder and Co-chair of National Security Action; Host of Crooked Media's "Pod Save the World"; Author of "After the Fall: Being American in the World We've Made"; Former Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future
• Bob Shrum: Director, USC Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife
• Bill Deverell: USC Dornsife Divisional Dean for the Social Science
• Beong-Soo Kim: USC Interim President; Senior Vice President and General Counsel, USC

USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability Director Joe Árvai joins former U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm for a discussion on how to move forward with climate change and energy issues under the Trump administration and how Democrats and Republicans can help push climate action forward. This discussion is part of the Climate Forward conference in partnership with the USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability.   Featuring:

• Jennifer Granholm: Former U.S. Secretary of Energy and First Female Governor of Michigan; One of Time’s Most Influential People 2024
• Joe Árvai: Director, USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and former U.S. Representative Garret Graves (R-LA) for a discussion on the state of climate policy under the Trump administration and how Democrats and Republicans can cooperate to tackle climate change issues. This conversation is part of the Climate Forward conference in partnership with the USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability.

Featuring:

• Barbara Boxer: Former U.S. Senator (D-CA)
• Garret Graves: Former U.S. Representative (R-LA)
• Bob Shrum: Director, USC Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins media experts, Martin Gurri, Adam Nagourney, and Gordon Stables, for a discussion on how the changing media landscape has contributed to global populist trends. They discuss the transformation of the media landscape, the role of the elites in the media and politics, and media's impact on the state of democracy globally.    Featuring:

• Martin Gurri: Former CIA Analyst; Author of "The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium"
• Adam Nagourney: National Political Reporter for The New York Times; Author of "The Times: How the Newspaper of Record Survived Scandal, Scorn and the Transformation of Journalism" and "Out for Good: The Struggle to Build a Gay Rights Movement in America"; Fall 2019 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future
• Gordon Stables: Director, USC Annenberg School of Journalism
• Bob Shrum: Director, USC Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins immigration experts, Andrew Arthur, Steven Davis, Deisy del Real, Ed Goeas, and Ehsan Zaffar, for a discussion on the future of immigration policy. They discuss the current immigration system and policies, amnesty, immigrant's contribution to the U.S. economy, and immigration reforms possible in today’s political climate. We are immensely grateful to Sue and Jeff White for launching this nonpartisan dialogue series at USC.

Featuring:

• Andrew Arthur: Resident Fellow in Law and Policy at Center for Immigration Studies
• Steven Davis: Senior Fellow and Director of Research at the Hoover Institution, Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR)
• Deisy del Real: International Migration Scholar; USC Assistant Professor of Sociology
• Ed Goeas: Republican Pollster and Strategist, Spring 2025 Fellow; USC Center for the Political Future
• Ehsan Zaffar: Professor at ASU’s College of Law; Executive Director, The Difference Engine; Civil Rights Attorney
• Bob Shrum: Director, USC Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci for a discussion on current events and the first month of the second Trump administration. They discuss the state of the Republican and Democratic parties, the impact of Trump's domestic and international actions, and even touch on Bitcoin.   Featuring: · Anthony Scaramucci: Former White House Communications Director; Founder & Managing Partner of SkyBridge Capital; Founder of SALT; Author of four books · Bob Shrum: Director, USC Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins bestselling author and CNN Chief Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin for a discussion on presidential pardons and Toobin's new book "The Pardon: The Politics of Presidential Mercy." They discuss famous pardons throughout history and the latest pardons from Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

Featuring: Jeffrey Toobin: CNN Chief Legal Analyst; Bestselling author of "True Crimes and Misdemeanors," "The Oath," "The Nine," "Too Close to Call," "The Run of His Life" (made into the FX series The People v. O.J. Simpson), and "A Vast Conspiracy"

Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

Author Sasha Issenberg joins political and media experts, Jane Coaston, Reince Priebus, Simon Rosenberg, and Chuck Todd, for a conversation on what to expect during Donald Trump's second term as president. They discuss Trump's first actions as president, his influence on politics, how the Democratic Party has changed over time, and how politics is always shifting. This discussion is part of the Warschaw Conference on Practical Politics “The Trumping of America: Why and What's Next?” in partnership with POLITICO,  PBS’ "Firing Line with Margaret Hoover," and C-SPAN.

Featuring:

• Sasha Issenberg (Moderator): Groundbreaking Author on Modern Campaigns & Marriage Equality
• Jane Coaston: Journalist; CNN Contributor; Host of Crooked Media’s “What A Day"
• Reince Priebus: Former Chairman of the Republican National Committee
• Simon Rosenberg: Political Strategist; Author/Creator of Hopium Chronicles
• Chuck Todd: Chief Political Analyst, NBC News

Democratic Strategist Tad Devine joins political and polling experts, Dale Butland, John Della Volpe, Mike Madrid, Carissa Smith, and Stephanie Young, for a conversation exploring how Kamala Harris and Democrats performed during the 2024 general election. They discuss the Democratic Party's messaging, how candidates connected—or didn't—with key voting demographics, and what polling revealed about voters. This discussion is part of the Warschaw Conference on Practical Politics “The Trumping of America: Why and What's Next?” in partnership with POLITICO,  PBS’ "Firing Line with Margaret Hoover," and C-SPAN.

Featuring: Tad Devine (Moderator): Chief Strategist, Bernie Sanders' 2016 Presidential Campaign Dale Butland: Democratic Strategist; Former Press Secretary and Ohio Chief of Staff for US Senator John Glenn John Della Volpe: Author; Director of Polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics Mike Madrid: Latino Pollster and Voting Expert; Author of “The Latino Century” Carissa Smith: Former Senior Public Engagement Advisor in the White House Office of Public Engagement Stephanie Young: Former Deputy Assistant to President Biden; Senior Advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris