by David Gastwirth Swing voters took center stage at this week’s [Wed, October 31st – one week before the election] Road to the White House. Given the undivided attention being paid to swing voters in the final stretch of the race, the topic is quite fitting for our last discussion Read more…
November 7, 2012 12:00pm to 1:00pm Geoffrey Cowan, director of USC Annenberg’s Center on Communication Leadership & Policy (CCLP) lead a wide-ranging post-election conversation with former California Governor Gray Davis and representatives from USC’s College Democrats and College Republicans.
by David Gastwirth This week’s Road to the White House examined the merits and criticisms of an upcoming California ballot measure, Proposition 35 – the “Californians Against Sexual Exploitation Act” (CASE) Initiative. Coming into the panel, I really could not understand how there could be strong opposition to tougher sanctions Read more…
October 22, 2012 11:30am to 1:00pm Featuring: Mark Hugo Lopez, Associate Director, Pew Hispanic Center The event will be co-moderated by Roberto Suro, Director of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute and Paola Fernandez, Political Director of the USC Latino Student Assembly.
One of the Most Important Non-Issues of the Campaign – Climate Change October 17, 2012 11:30am to 1:00pm Featuring: Dan Mazmanian, Professor at USC Price, and Director of New Initiatives at the USC Center for Sustainable Cities Juliana Wang, Assistant Professor at USC Dornsife Charles Epting, USC College Republicans Alexander Read more…
This week’s Road to the White House focused on the role of K-12 education policy in this year’s presidential election. David Gatswirth was in attendance, and shares his thoughts with us.
No Policy Left Behind? K-12 Education in the 2012 Campaign October 10, 2012 11:30am to 1:00pm Panelists: Morgan Polikoff, Assistant Professor at USC Rossier School of Education Marshall Tuck, Chief Executive Officer at Partnership for Los Angeles Schools Edgar Zazueta, Director of Government Relations for the Los Angeles Unified School Read more…
by David Gastwirth This week’s Road to the White House examined the nature and function of negative advertising in the campaign. This topic is particularly relevant and timely in light of a finding by the Wesleyan Media Project that the 2012 Presidential Race is the most negative since 2000. The Read more…
Going Negative: When Attack Ads Work and When They Don’t October 3, 2012 11:30am to 1:00pm Featuring: John Shallman, President, Shallman Communications Michael Finnegan, Reporter, Los Angeles Times Taylor Markey, Social Chair, USC College Democrats Barr Benyamin, Member, USC College Republicans Co-Moderated By: Dan Schnur, Director, USC Jesse M. Unruh Read more…
Road to the White House Featuring: Morley Winograd, Senior Fellow, Center on Communication Leadership & Policy Michael Hais, Fellow, NDN and the New Policy Institute C-authors, Millennial Momentum: How a New Generation is Remaking America Moderator: Geoffrey Cowan, Director, Center on Communication Leadership & Policy View the video
Today’s Road to the White House focused on the key policy issues – such as healthcare and jobs – that will form the substantive backbone of this campaign. Of course, this assumes that the campaign will actually rise above the politics of personal destruction.
Road to the White House With the polls nearly tied and the conventions coming to an end, the question remains: where will President Obama and Governor Romney take their campaigns? How will the candidates address the tough issues facing the nation? How will the candidates define their policies and strengthen Read more…
In a campaign season dominated by Super PACS and a political culture in which money and lobbyists seem to rule, what role do special interests play in our political system? Join a panel of experts including Jack Abramoff, former Republican lobbyist, newly-turned ethics watchdog, and author of Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington Corruption from America’s Most Notorious Lobbyist, and Bob Hertzberg, former Speaker of the California State Assembly and Co-Chair of reform group California Forward, to discuss the impact of special interests in politics and the presidential campaign.
The House, the Senate, and the White House have all released dueling transportation spending bills – and we’re not likely to see any of them passed this election year. Each version represents competing visions for federal leadership in US infrastructure and finance in an era where trillion-dollar deficits and unemployment still weigh heavily on budgetary politics.
There are three obstacles to the future development of nuclear power: Safety, waste disposal, and weapons proliferation. The current US administration has a mixed record regarding nuclear power: On one hand it has been promoting nuclear power as a means to producing energy without greenhouse gas emissions; on the other hand, it has stopped the development nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada calling into question a solution that seemed to be in reach.
Myers Urges Generational Unity for 2012 Election Few things in life are certain, but you can count on this: In 10 years, you’ll be 10 years older. Dowell Myers, professor at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and director of the Population Dynamics Research Group, shared the implications Read more…
How Populist Movements Shape American Politics
Tea Partiers and Occupiers are at opposite ends of the political spectrum, yet they both embrace the politics “of the people.” What effect will these populist movements have on the upcoming state, congressional and presidential races?
Rapid demographic change has dramatic, polarizing effects among the electorate, especially in a time of economic despair. The declining majority status of whites, growing numbers of elderly, and increasing immigration each have been cause for rejoicing and new political demands. Yet those trends fan fears and galvanize opposition that is easily exploited by political candidates. In this environment is there any hope for reducing division and polarization? How can a middle-ground position of common interests be established and defended?
A conversation with faculty fellow Gordon Stables, Georgia State Communication Professor Shawn Powers, and Trojan Debate Squad members Nate Wong (captain), Chris Patterson, and Katrina Kaiser about international affairs and the 2012 election. Democratic revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa’s impact on U.S. international policy and influence in the 2012 election is discussed.
Featuring:
Rob Stutzman, Former Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Hector De La Torre, Former California State Assemblyman, 50th District
Alex Davidson, Director of External Relations, College Republicans
Ximena Velazquez-Arenas, President, College Democrats
What if you could pick your choice for president?” Non-partisan Americans Elect envisions a new online, direct form of democracy for 2012—an election in which voters pick a president, not a party.
CCLP faculty fellow Tom Hollihan is the author of Uncivil Wars: Political Campaigns in a Media Age. Hollihan, communication professor Gordon Stables and members of the Trojan Debate Squad will talk about the media’s role in influencing public perception of issues in the 2012 presidential election.
A look at the 2010 health reform legislation, which was become a hot button in the early 2012 presidential debates. Voters remain conflicted about what they want in their health system and what they demand from their politicians.
Featuring CCLP senior fellow and presidential biographer Richard Reeves. A USC Annenberg journalism professor, Reeves has authored biographies of Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, and John Kennedy, among others. His latest book is Daring Young Men: The Heroism and Triumph of The Berlin Airlift-June 1948-May 1949.
Speakers:
Reed Galen, Managing Director, Mercury Public Affairs
Shannon Murphy, Deputy Controller for Communications, LA City Controller Wendy Greuel
Dennis Su, College Republicans
Victoria Hallebo, Vice President, College Democrats