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Exec Ed
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- The Bigger Picture
- Bookclub PodcastAn audio bookclub. Our geeks read and discuss new and classic works in the policy field – fictional and non. Social justice, tech, politics, policy … we cover it all and more. We want to get at the heart of what it means to be a community member in America. Listen on our site here, or subscribe at ApplePodcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app. Get Involved: Join the conversation about each episode on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Or email us at [email protected].
- LA HashtagsLos Angeles Hashtags Itself, began as a six-episode, limited series podcast, featuring various Angeleno agencies leading the critical trend of using digital media for urban and social development. Season 3, LA Hashtags Herself, will focus on a few of the many women who aim to leave Los Angeles a better place. If you like art, community, cultural journalism, real estate, transportation, and tech generally, we hope you will find something worth hearing. Listen to the individual posts on our site here, or subscribe at iTunes, Soundcloud, or Google Play!
- Our American DiscourseGreat knowledge need not wither on the academic vine. We bring you the smartest minds from the University of Southern California and beyond, wrestling with the defining challenges of our time. In their research, we find wisdom. In their voice, hope. Hosted by Anthony W. Orlando, Our American Discourse reminds us that we’re never too different to learn from each other, nor too divided to find common ground. Listen to the individual podcasts below or subscribe on Google Play, iTunes, or Soundcloud. But most of all, keep the conversation going. Tell us what you thought. Tell others what you heard. Keep our American discourse alive—and healthy.
- The Policy PaycheckCreated and hosted by Serena Allen, a junior studying public policy, with an emphasis on advanced policy analysis, The Policy Paycheck is a nonpartisan podcast dedicated to simplifying the economic side of high profile policies. Often, we only get one side of the coin regarding policy matters. This podcast reaches beyond these boundaries to allow listeners to think critically on political matters that impact their daily lives.
- P.S. You’re InterestingOur newest podcast series is where we discuss new research in Political Science with stars in the field. We hope to bring the research to life. Host Jeffery A. Jenkins hopes to share innovations and implications of research, through conversation and interviews with invited guests. To listen to individual episodes use the player on the episode, or stream & subscribe on your favorite podcasting app – just search “P.S. You’re Interesting” or “usc bedrosian.” Email us at [email protected] Twitter: @BedrosianCenter, @jaj7d
- Policy at the Playhouse“All art is political in the sense that it serves someone’s politics.” – August Wilson Theatre can bolster the status quo. It can foment revolution. It can make us question our identities and the identities of those around us. It makes us yearn and strive. It gives us closure. It leaves us wanting more. Theatre is a weapon. It holds up a mirror. It is politics. Theatre dissolves the distance between people. Theatre exposes humanity and inhumanity. Theatre connects us. The Policy at the Playhouse podcast features conversations about how art, theater in particular, is an integral part of our civic lives allowing us to question and inform our conceptions of citizenship and community. This podcast continues our ongoing efforts to bring policy and its impact into the public discourse, recognizing that citizens inform themselves in many different arenas. Listen to individual episodes on the player above, the Policy at the Playhouse page, or subscribe at iTunes, Soundcloud, or Google Play.
- Reel ReviewReel Review is a film podcast dedicated to thinking about how the media we consume contributes to the public good. Hosted by Erroll Southers, the podcast focuses on visual storytelling, diversity, and the public good. This podcast is sponsored by Price Video Services and USC Bedrosian Center, and continues our ongoing efforts to bring policy and its impact into the public discourse. Download or subscribe at ApplePodcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app. Get Involved: Join the conversation about each episode on Twitter or Facebook, & Instagram, or email us at [email protected].
- Unfair Nation by (In)equality Fellow, Ehsan Zaffar
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California Public Officials Survey

The California Public Officials Survey was a web-based survey designed to explore the links between values, institutional capacity, and decision-making by public officials in California. The results of the survey have implications for effective policymaking, service delivery, and public accountability.

The faculty and staff of the Bedrosian Center developed the survey with the goal of providing useful data on public officials and their attitudes toward key policy issues in California. The survey concluded in September of 2011, with a total of 462 locally elected city council members, mayors, and county supervisors having responded to the survey.

Results

With their responses, these public officials provided key insight into the issues facing local and regional governments across California. Economic issues were reported as a main area of concern by an overwhelming majority of the public officials. Slightly more than 90 percent of respondents indicated that either jobs and the economy, or the state budget deficit and taxes as the most important issue facing their city or county.

When asked which single area of government service they would most support cutting if service reductions became necessary, the services most mentioned were Arts and Culture (28%), Parks and Recreation (16%) and Housing and Community Development (15%)

In terms of local government accountability, 78 percent of the public officials surveyed indicated that they would support establishing stricter public disclosure requirements for the salaries of local elected officials. However, they seemed weary of state-level oversight, with only 13 percent indicating that they believed increasing state-level oversight would lead to more responsible local government. About two-thirds (65%) indicated that they would support eliminating term limits for elected officials.

The respondents have an average of 8 years of experience serving in their current elected position, with some having served as long as 47 years. They come from cities large and small, some representing cities with populations of less than 1,000 residents and some public officials representing cities with more than 9 million residents.