Let's Find Common Ground

The times ahead may be radically different than what most of us have experienced so far in our lives. This episode considers what kind of sacrifices will have to be made now and in the future. How can volunteers make a difference? What needs to be done to prevent a further fraying of the fabric of our national life? Guest: Professor Paul Light of New York University, who often writes about public service, and has testified before Congress.

What does it take to be an effective leader at a time of unprecedented crisis? We look at the vital skills great leaders share in common. Guest: Retired four-star general, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and 2004 Democratic Presidential candidate, Wesley Clark. He shares his unique experience in the military, business, politics, and as the leader of the non-profit group, Renew America Together.

The world is struggling with a devastating global health emergency, but pressure is building to end lockdowns and ease other restrictions. What are the best ways to restart the U.S. economy without risking public health? We discuss how to find common ground while navigating this challenge. Guests: Jared Bernstein, former economic advisor to Vice President Biden in the Obama Administration and Maya MacGuineas, President of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

As the tone of public discourse becomes increasingly angry and divisive, Common Ground Committee offers a healing path to reaching agreement and moving forward. We talk with top leaders in public policy, finance, academe and more to encourage the seeking and finding of points of agreement, and to demonstrate how combating incivility can lead us forward.

Co-Directors of the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the presidential election. Bob Shrum, the former senior strategist for Al Gore, John Kerry, and a host of Democratic senators and governors, and Mike Murphy, the former senior strategist for John McCain and Mitt Romney and a political analyst for NBC News, discuss the latest on changing voter attitudes toward the Trump administration, voting while sheltering in place and the dilemmas and opportunities of the Biden and Sanders campaigns.

Center Director Bob Shrum moderates a discussion exploring how the primary campaigns and developments in Washington are shaping the general election landscape.

The panelists include: Rob Collins - Republican strategist; Former Executive Director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee

Christian Grose - Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, USC Dornsife; Academic Director, USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy

Betsy Fischer Martin - Emmy-winning journalist; Former TV news executive; Executive Director, Women and Politics Institute, American University

Mike Murphy - Co-Director, Center for the Political Future; political analyst for NBC News; former Senior Strategist for John McCain

Fifteen states, including California for the first time, cast their votes for the 2020 primaries on Super Tuesday, March 3. A round table of experts weighed in on the results in real-time and offered predictions on what to look for next.

The panelists include: Christina Bellantoni - Director, USC Annenberg Media Center

Bill Carrick - Strategist for Sen. Dianne Feinstein, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, Sen. Ted Kennedy, and President Bill Clinton

Jeff Greenfield - Politics and Media Analyst; Spring '20 CPF Fellow

David Hill - Pollster and Strategist; Spring '20 CPF Fellow

Bob Shrum - Director, Center for the Political Future

Ernest Wilson - Professor of Communication and Political Science; Former USC Annenberg Dean; Founder, Center for Third Space Thinking

Center Co-Director Mike Murphy is joined by U.S. Representative Will Hurd, R-Texas. He is the only black Republican in the U.S. House, representing Texas' 23rd district that spans San Antonio to El Paso. In his three terms, he has broken from his party by supporting universal background checks for gun sales and the LGBT Equality Act, as well as opposing Trump's border wall. Rep. Hurd served as an undercover officer in the CIA in the Middle East and South Asia for nearly a decade. He shares his insights on the country's pressing national security issues, public service, and the future of the Republican party.

Center for the Political Future Executive Director Kamy Akhavan moderates a panel on the roots and rise of tribalism on American life, past and present, its impact on the state of politics and governance in America, and the role of political leaders in worsening the trend or reversing it.

The panelists include:

Ron Christie - Former Special Assistant to President George W. Bush and Vice President Cheney

Stevan Hobfoll - Author, "Tribalism: The Evolutionary Origins of Fear Politics"

Jonas Kaplan - USC Dornsife Assistant Research Professor of Psychology; Co-Director, Dornsife Neuroimaging Center

Alison Renteln - USC Dornsife Professor of Political Science, Anthropology, Philosophy, Public Policy and Law

Center Director Bob Shrum is joined by John Della Volpe, Director of Polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics to discuss the impact of millennial voters on the 2020 election. In partnership with the Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy.