Let's Find Common Ground

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 walked across Afghanistan, was an elected politician, served as a senior British government minister, and was a visiting fellow at Yale University. Today he is the host of a highly successful podcast— "The Rest Is Politics"— and outgoing president and advisor of the global anti-poverty charity, GiveDirectly. By any measure, he is a man of many parts.

In our podcast, Stewart raises the alarm about threats to democracy in Europe and the U.S., explains his detailed understanding of common ground, and discusses the stark difference between skills needed to win political office and what's needed to govern well.

We ask him about the parallels between U.S. and U.K. politics, the threats to democracy from populism, and how other elected politicians overseas view America's current political division and dysfunction. "The U.S. public square really looks incredibly divided," Rory Stewart tells us.

We also discuss his outspoken new memoir about his years in the U.K. Parliament and government, "How Not To Be a Politician."

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.

Until recently most of us outside of state government didn't know much about the role of Secretary of State, the state's top election official. We simply didn't think about it. But since 2020, election laws and procedures have been in the spotlight – and election officials have come under attack.

In this episode of Let's Find Common Ground, we meet Democrat Steve Hobbs, Secretary of State for Washington, and Republican Michael Adams, Secretary of State for Kentucky.

Kentucky is a vote-in-person state, while Washington has voting by mail and at the dropbox. But no matter how people vote, suspicion of the entire process is rife. In recent years both men have encountered election deniers and faced threats to themselves and their staff.

"These abuses, even if they're not full-fledged threats of violence - it adds up," says Michael Adams, "and it begins to really lay some strain on our election process.

Hear what each of our guests is doing to protect democracy in his state, why being part of the Electronic Registration Information System (ERIC) is important to them, and how volunteers play a vital role in free and fair elections.

CPF Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy join Fall 2023 CPF Fellows, Addisu Demissie, Arnon Mishkin, Mike Schmuhl, and Betty Yee, for a lively discussion on former President Trump's indictments, what this means for President Biden, and how the 2024 presidential race is shaping up. The conversation also explores their USC study groups and impressive careers in politics. Featuring:

• Addisu Demissie: Principal and Founder of 50+1 Strategies; Fall 2023 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future
• Arnon Mishkin: Political Analyst and Director of the Fox News Election Decision Team; Fall 2023 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future
• Mike Schmuhl: Chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party; Former Campaign Manager for Pete Buttigieg 2020; Fall 2023 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future
• Betty Yee: Former California State Controller and Board of Equalization member; 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