2009-2010 Academic Year News

Experts discuss elections

By Tahir Adiguzelli
November 3, 2010

Panelists at the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics discussed the predicted results of Tuesday’s midterm elections and urged both political parties to use the watershed change of power as an opportunity for compromise.  

Dan Schnur, the chairman of California’s Fair Political Practices Commission and the director of the Unruh Institute, led the panel discussion with Roberto Suro, faculty fellow at the USC Center on Communication Leadership & Policy. Read more>

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Obama addresses rising cost of higher education

By Natalie Chau
January 27, 2010

In his first State of the Union address, President Barack Obama stressed the need for bipartisanship in Washington to help the country continue toward economic recovery, pushed for health care reform and focused on easing the financial burden for those paying for higher education. Read more>

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 Courses to include poll in curriculum

By Kristy Pyke
November 22, 2009

With USC and the Los Angeles Times’ joint polling project underway, directors are emphasizing the involvement opportunities the polls offer students, but students seem unaware of those options.

USC’s College of Letters, Arts & Sciences and the LA Times are conducting a series of six polls leading up to the 2010 gubernatorial election. The collaboration is the first joint polling effort between the university and a local newspaper. The first of the six polls was released two weeks ago. Read more>

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USC funds landmark poll series

By Liz Warden
November 8, 2009

The Los Angeles Times and the USC Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics released the results of their first joint poll this weekend, finding that California voters are not pleased with the state of politics in California and believe the state is in a much worse place than the country as a whole. Read more>

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Poll shows influence of Latina voters

By Liz Warden
October 7, 2009

Latina voters are accessing the Internet and “new media” in increasing numbers, and political campaigns will have to spend more — and speak to a broader set of issues — to reach those voters, expert panelists said Wednesday, in response to a new poll commissioned in partnership by a USC political center. Read more>

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Protestors gather at West Coast ‘Tea Party’ demonstration

By Kate Erickson
September 14, 2009

Thousands of people — including a handful of USC students — gathered Saturday in front of the Federal Building in Westwood, brandishing signs reading “Obamacare is a Nightmare” and “Nobama!”

An estimated 5,000 Angelenos attended the two-hour “Tea Party,” co-organized by local groups such as the Los Angeles Patriots, to rally for limited government and protest proposed health care reform. Read more> 

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Experts, students analyze Obama presidency so far

By Christianna Kyriacou
September 3, 2009

The same day a CNN public opinion poll announced that the president’s approval rating had dropped to 53 percent, the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics held its first Students Talk Back forum of the semester, titled “Obama Overview: How’s he doing?” Read more>

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