USC Center for the Political Future
The Center for the Political Future (CPF) is a non-partisan center housed in the University of Southern California's Dornsife College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The center was established in order to combat uncivil political discourse and promote bipartisan, fact-based dialogue on national issues. The Center for the Political Future hosts conferences, offers a Fellowship program, hosts an ongoing dialogue series called Political Conversations, and provides a neutral ground for political discourse in "off-the-record policy workshops" with top experts from relevant disciplines, among other programs. Through its dialogue series , conferences, and workshops, the center has expressed that some of its goals are to "understand and contextualize causes of the political divide" in the United States, "work toward a common fact base," "renew civil discourse to find common ground," and assess the possible "domestic and global implications of different policy approaches" through civil discourse between experts across the ideological spectrum. About the center. Leadership. The center's Director is Robert Shrum and its Co-Director is Mike Murphy. Shrum is a longtime Democratic strategist and speechwriter for politicians, including Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and John Kerry. Murphy is  a veteran Republican campaign strategist and has worked for candidates Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jeb Bush, John McCain, and Mitt Romney. The center's Executive Director is Kamy Akhavan, former CEO of ProCon.org. Mission. The Center for the Political Future brings political professionals together from both sides of the aisle and models bipartisan discussions for students and the national political stage. The center's stated mission is to “combine rigorous intellectual inquiry, teaching, and practical politics to advance civil dialogue that transcends partisan divisions and explores solutions to our most pressing national and global challenges.” Objectives. The Center for the Political Future  outlines several objectives, including: History. In 1978, before it was called the Center for the Political Future, USC founded the USC Institute of Politics and Government. A little more than a decade later, in 1987, it was renamed the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics after the late California state politician, Jesse M. Unruh. In 2018, long-time political strategists and friends Robert Shrum (D) and Mike Murphy (R) expanded the Unruh Institute of Politics by creating the Center for the Political Future. Organization. The center has several departments and initiatives that further its mission: the Unruh Institute of Politics , the USC Dornsife/LA Times Poll, weekly programming through their Political Conversations series, a Fellows Program, and large-scale conferences. Unruh Institute of Politics. The Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics, named after long-time California politician Jesse M. Unruh, is a component of the Center for the Political Future. Its focus is on engaging students at USC in politics and public service. It achieves this goal by providing students with internships and practical experiences in politics. Student programs include immersive professional experiences at the Iowa Caucuses, in California state politics in Sacramento, a leadership conference for LA-based high  school women, and related coursework in these areas. The Unruh Institute has two affiliated student groups, Unruh Associates and VoteSC, which promote student engagement in voting and politics. USC Dornsife/LA Times Poll. The USC Dornsife/LA Times poll is maintained by USC’s Center for Economic and Social Research and conducted in partnership with the Center for the Political Future and the Los Angeles Times. The purpose of the probability-based online panel is to track respondents changing attitudes and preferences for political candidates over time. Political Conversations. The Center for the Political Future hosts a regular conversation series  called Political Conversations, in partnership with the Political Science Department at USC. The Center brings in guests from the world of politics, journalism, and other related fields to expose students to practitioners in journalism, politics, and public policy. Past guests include: Fellows Program. The Center for the Political Future hosts visiting Fellows each semester to teach classes pertaining to politics, public policy, and journalism. Fellows have included: Conferences. The Center for the Political Future conducts several annual conferences. The conference themes range from climate change and political tribalism to immigration and elections. Featured speakers have included: USC Center for the