Advancing a politics where we respect each other.
Today’s political divide is wider than at any time since the Civil War. News is fake, facts are discounted, and rancor is at historic levels. Now, more than ever, innovative pathways are needed to restore dispassionate analysis to the political arena and renew the compromise essential to our democracy. The Center for the Political Future seeks to open those pathways by combining rigorous intellectual inquiry, teaching and practical politics to create a new model for political discourse. Led by the nation’s two most respected political experts, Robert Shrum and Michael Murphy, the Center for the Political Future is advancing civil dialogue that transcends partisan divisions and exploring solutions to our most pressing national and global challenges.
USC Dornsife in Action
The USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future aims to reduce political polarization through thoughtful discourse with leaders on the left and the right, the application of research-based solutions and the education of tomorrow’s leaders.
When the midterm election was just days away, the Center led a final push to encourage USC students, faculty, staff and the local community to make their voice heard. The Center has partnered with USC Athletics, University Relations, Student Affairs, recognized student organizations and other USC groups to make voting easier and more accessible.
Each semester, the Center hosts ideologically diverse Fellows on campus, who expose students to a wide array of perspectives, broadening and challenging their understanding of government while strengthening civil dialogue on campus and within the USC community.
A partnership between the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future and USC Dornsife Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, the Climate Forward Conference hosts policymakers, government officials, leading executives and activists for conversations and panels on today’s most pressing environmental issues.
Communities of Support
Advancing the Center’s Mission
We need the next generation of leaders to understand civil discourse and practical politics. I am honored to join the CPF Board of Councilors and work for a better political future for our nation.
Promoting Bi-Partisan Discourse
Lisa Korbatov has been remarkably generous to the Center for the Political Future and passionately committed to its bipartisan mission to model and advance civil politics where we respect each other even if we differ on issues.
We are partners in a shared journey to change our world for the better. Every contribution to USC Dornsife counts towards our ability to enhance the training of the next generation of leaders, providing opportunities for innovation and creative freedom through research and expert faculty recruitment. Your gifts are making an impact at USC Dornsife and we thank you!
See the impact of donors’ support.
We are partners in a shared journey to change our world for the better. Every contribution to USC Dornsife counts towards our ability to enhance the training of the next generation of leaders, providing opportunities for innovation and creative freedom through research and expert faculty recruitment. Your gifts are making an impact at USC Dornsife and we thank you!
See the impact of donors’ support.
How You Can Help
With your help, the Center for the Political Future can continue to empower future civic leaders with practical political skills and the training to bridge divides through civil discourse and fact-based compromise. Join this effort to support students, support USC, and support democracy. Gifts of any size will help us in this important initiative.
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The Center hosts a changing and outstanding cohort of political and policy leaders selected from across the nation and world on the basis of a notable record of serving in public office or working in the arena of practical politics. Fellows conduct study groups, teach courses and interact with faculty and students.
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The Center draws outstanding new tenure-track faculty to USC Dornsife. They add scholarly perspective on politics and a wide range of policy issues, engage with political and government leaders and educate undergraduate and graduate students.
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The Center hosts a series of workshops in the surrounding community. Center faculty and fellows oversee political discussions with voters across the span of political viewpoints to promote civil discourse and explore techniques for breaking down political divides.
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Located 3,000 miles from Washington, D.C., the Center provides neutral ground for political discourse. Elected officials and their staffs are invited to the Center for off-the-record policy workshops with top experts from the fields of science, economics, political science, international relations and other relevant disciplines. Led by outstanding facilitators, the workshops encourage leaders of different viewpoints to seek agreement and develop rules of the road for disagreement. The Center engages the political leadership of Washington, D.C., and strives aggressively to introduce new solutions and ideas to the national political dialogue.
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The Center supports an educational mission rooted in the liberal arts that encourages global citizenship, public service and analytical thinking. In addition to opportunities to engage with our renowned faculty and visiting fellows, access to new technology and pedagogical resources help students think about public life and how to shape a future that improves it.
The Center’s civic engagement extends beyond the campus through initiatives that educate and empower high school students, young adults and marginalized communities to take part in the political process.
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The annual Climate Forward Conference, hosted in partnership with the USC Dornsife Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies and GRoW Annenberg, explores politically realistic solutions to the challenges associated with a changing climate.
Past speakers have included U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman.
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Our new Center Leadership Circle program gives our most generous donors additional perks and access to Center leadership. For more information on this front row seat to national politics, please visit our Center Leadership Circles page.
Make Your Gift
Your gift attracts the top students, funds the next big breakthrough and supports a community of scholars committed to tackling the most pressing issues we face as a society.
Connect With Us
USC Dornsife Office of Advancement
1150 South Olive Street, Suite 2400
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Mail Checks to:
USC Advancement Gift Services
1150 South Olive Street, Suite 2500
Los Angeles, California 90015
USC Tax ID: 95-1642394