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At the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future, we bring together top Republicans and Democrats to transcend partisan divisions and explore solutions to our most pressing national and global challenges. Join veteran strategists Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy along with other Center staff and major voices in the Bully Pulpit for fun conversations that advance civil dialogue and practical politics. When President Theodore Roosevelt coined the phrase bully pulpit, bully meant “wonderful”; and Roosevelt, according to the Oxford Dictionary, was envisioning “an outstanding opportunity to speak out on any issue.” Hear from famous people who’ve known success and setbacks, whether they worked for Donald Trump or Barack Obama, G.W. Bush or Bill Clinton, the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. The conversations go behind the curtain with elected officials, campaign staff, journalists, academics, pundits, and political operatives. Every exchange is guided by standards central to the Center’s mission: Respect each other and respect the truth. Opponents are adversaries, not enemies. And if you lose, don’t burn down the stadium. The Bully Pulpit was formerly called Election R&D.

Jan 28, 2020

Center for the Political Future Executive Director Kamy Akhavan moderates a panel on the roots and rise of tribalism on American life, past and present, its impact on the state of politics and governance in America, and the role of political leaders in worsening the trend or reversing it.

The panelists include:

Ron Christie - Former Special Assistant to President George W. Bush and Vice President Cheney

Stevan Hobfoll - Author, “Tribalism: The Evolutionary Origins of Fear Politics”

Jonas Kaplan - USC Dornsife Assistant Research Professor of Psychology; Co-Director, Dornsife Neuroimaging Center

Alison Renteln - USC Dornsife Professor of Political Science, Anthropology, Philosophy, Public Policy and Law