Policy Outreach and Alumni Events
2015 Events
Transforming Government through Technology: The Big Questions and Tough Choices
Date: Monday, April 13, 2015
Location: Mulvaney’s B & L
Panel:
- PK Agarwal (moderator) Board Chairman, Future 500
- Erroll Southers, Director of Transition & Research Deployment, CREATE, USC
- Karen Johnson, Chief Deputy Director, Department of Health Care Services
- John Barrett, Public Information Officer, Franchise Tax Board
2014 Events
Houston Flournoy Forum on State Government: Criminal Justice Realignment
Date: Friday, Feb. 21, 2014
Time: 12:00 – 1:30pm
Location: Mulvaney’s B & L
Panel:
- Juliet Musso (moderator) Houston Flournoy, Prof. of State Government, USC Price School of Public Policy
- Mia Bird, Research Fellow, Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC)
- Mathew Cate, Executive Director, California State Association of Counties (CSAC)
- Kathy Jett, Policy Consultant, California Forward
- Linda Penner, Chair, Board of State and Community Corrections
2013 Events
Fiscal Sustainability in Local Government
Date: Friday, November 22, 2013
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: California State Capitol
Speakers:
- Dan Schnur (Moderator) – Director, Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC
- Richard Callahan – Associate Professor, USF School of Management
- James Mayer – President & CEO, California Forward
- Juliet Musso – Associate Professor, USC Price School of Public Policy
- Mark Pisano – Senior Fellow, USC Price School of Public Policy
Affordability and Quality in California’s Higher Education
Date: Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Time: Noon – 1:30 p.m.
Location: California Chamber of Commerce
Speakers:
- William Tierney – USC Professor & President of the American Educational Research Association
- Jack Knott (Moderator) – Dean of the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy
- Patricia Gándara – UCLA Professor & Co-Director of The Civil Rights Project
- Nicholas Lee – Senior Program Officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- David Plank – Stanford Professor & Executive Director of Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE)
Changing California: A Look Into 2013 and Beyond
Date: February 6, 2013
Description:
The USC Price School in Sacramento hosted a panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities of the California Health Benefit Exchange. The speakers included: Peter Lee, Executive Director of the CA Health Benefit Exchange; Dana Goldman, founding director of the Leonard Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics at USC; Bob Kocher, Partner at Venrock and Jay Hansen, Chief Strategy Officer for the California Medical Association.
2012 Events
Changing California: A Look Into 2013 and Beyond
Date: December 10, 2012
Description:
The USC Price School in Sacramento and the USC Office of State Government Relations hosted a review of the outcome of the 2012 elections by a panel of political analysts and journalists. Panelists included: Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, Senior Fellow at USC Price School and political analyst for KNBC, LA; Raphael Bostic, Professor and Bedrosian Chair in Governance and Public Enterprise, USC Price School; Amy Chance, Political Editor for the Sacramento Bee; and Evan Halper, Sacramento Bureau Chief for the LA Times.
Rethinking Campaign Finance Reform and Disclosure
Date: April 12, 2012
Description:
The 2010 Citizens United ruling by the United States Supreme Court has fundamentally altered the landscape of political campaigns, and the unfolding primary cycle has catalyzed debate about campaign finance reform and disclosure. Some endorse the decision. Others decry it. What should one think about campaign finance reform and disclosure? The USC Sol Price School of Public Policy in Sacramento and the California Fair Political Practices Commission invite you to hear the views of distinguished legal and political experts on these important issues. Two panels of scholars and practitioners will discuss the changes to the laws governing campaign finance reform and disclosure. They will consider how disclosure policy functions in this new legal landscape and debate the merits of policies advanced in the wake of Citizens United.
2009 Events
Policy Luncheon – “Demographics and House Prices of Proposition 13: Rewriting the Old Script for a New Future”
Speaker:
Dowell Myers
Professor of Urban Planning and Demography
USC Sol Price School of Public Policy
Date: November 4, 2009
Time: Noon – 1 p.m.
Location: California Chamber of Commerce
Description:
The history and future of Proposition 13 are not following the same script. Dramatic increases in house prices in the 1970s drove shocking increases in property taxes, and the innovation of Proposition 13 was a much needed solution. Today the 40% decline in house prices has removed the underpinnings that made Proposition 13 work. A lot has also changed in 31 years, and it is time to look at the new demographics of Proposition 13, how those are tied to trends in house values and tax assessments, and what is the outlook going forward.
Alumni Presentation – California Politics: Where Are We and Where Are We Going?
An Evening with Political Commentator and USC-USC Price Senior Fellow Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, Ph.D.
Date: November 12, 2009
Time: 5:30 – 7 p.m. PT
Location:
USC State Capital Center, Room E
1800 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
Description:
One of the state’s preeminent political observers and a frequent NBC Nightly News commentator, Dr. Jeffe will share her insights on California’s 2010 gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races with USC Price professor Elisabeth Kersten, former director of the Senate Office of Research. A brief Q&A will follow their discussion of California’s changing political landscape.
Health Care Reform: What’s Happening in Washington – An Insider’s View on How It Will Impact California
A Discussion on National Health Care Policy featuring Peter Harbage
Date: November 19, 2009
Time: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. PT
Location:
USC State Capital Center, Room E
1800 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
Presenter:
Peter Harbage
Senior Program Associate, New America Foundation
President, Harbage Consulting
2008 Events
Policy Luncheon — Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube, and the Future of American Politics
Date and Time: April 18, 2008 — 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Location: California State Association of Counties Conference Room
1020 11th Street, 2nd Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Open to the Public
Presenters:
Morley Winograd
Executive Director, Center for Telecom Management
University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business
Michael D. Hais
Vice-President, Entertainment Research (Retired)
Frank N. Magid Associates
Building on the seminal work of previous generational theorists, Morley Winograd and Michael D. Hais demonstrate and describe, for the first time, the two types of realignments-“idealist” and “civic”-that have alternated with one another throughout the nation’s history. Based on these patterns, Winograd and Hais predict that the next realignment will be very different from the last one that occurred in 1968. “Idealist” realignments, like the one put into motion forty years ago by the Baby Boomer Generation, produce, among other things, a political emphasis on divisive social issues and governmental gridlock. “Civic” realignments, like the one that is coming, and the one produced by the famous GI or “Greatest” Generation in the 1930s, by contrast, tend to produce societal unity, increased attention to and successful resolution of basic economic and foreign policy issues, and institution-building.
The authors detail the contours and causes of the country’s five previous political makeovers, before delving deeply into the generational and technological trends that will shape the next. The book’s final section forecasts the impact of the Millennial Makeover on the elections, issues, and public policies that will characterize America’s politics in the decades ahead.
Additional Resources:
- Link to the book: http://www.millennialmakeover.com
- Interview with Winograd and Hais on “The Newshour with Jim Lehrer” (May 8, 2008)
Policy Luncheon — Fiscal Challenges: Budgetary Arrangements in 50 States
Options and Strategies for Sustainable Financing in California
Date and Time: March 13, 2008 — 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Location: Senate Office of Research Conference Room
1020 N Street, Suite 200
Sacramento, California
Space is Limited – By Invitation Only
Presenters:
Juliet Ann Musso
Associate Professor
Director of Graduate Programs in Public Policy and Management
University of Southern California, Price School of Public Policy
Elizabeth Graddy
Professor
Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs
University of Southern California, Price School of Public Policy
Musso and Graddy will discuss the most important budgetary practices used across the 50 states and review the insights that research has provided about their likely impacts on fiscal performance. The research presented is from a new book edited by Elizabeth Garrett, Elizabeth Graddy and Howell Jackson, “Fiscal Challenges: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Budget Policy”, published in January 2008.
Conference — Fiscal Challenges: Paying For Tomorrow’s Infrastructure
Options and Strategies for Sustainable Financing in California
Date and Time: March 6, 2008 — 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Sheraton Grand Hotel, 1230 J Street, Sacramento, CA
Sponsored by the USC Keston Institute on Public Finance and Infrastructure Policy and the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy
Open to the Public
Presenters:
California Treasurer Bill Lockyer along with David Dowall, Ellen Hanak, Mike Pagano, Martin Wachs, and other leading scholars, policy analysts, and practitioners from around the country.
Sustainable and reliable funding for infrastructure and infrastructure maintenance is clearly a pressing need in California. Recently, it has been one of the top political news items. In California the specter of a bridge collapse in Minnesota renews concern about earthquake safety, and precarious earthen levees threaten a statewide environmental and natural resource catastrophe. Less spectacular is the steady disintegration of schools, hospitals, and prisons. Growth is testing the limits of our water supplies, and waste treatment and water reclamation systems fall far short of their potential. Increasing congestion and air pollution are symptomatic of an outdated transportation system based on technologies and plans developed more than two generations ago.
Functional, efficient, and well-maintained infrastructure supports environmental quality, public health, and economic prosperity. This conference will assess its current funding in California and present a wide range of possible models (public and private) to provide sustainable revenue streams to support a healthy and prosperous future.
Fiscal Challenges: Transparency in the Budget Process
Date and Time: January 18, 2008 — 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Location: Library and Courts Building, 914 Capitol Mall, Room 500
Open to the Public
Presenter:
Elizabeth Garrett
University Vice President for Academic Planning and Budget
Sydney M. Irmas Professor of Public Interest Law, Legal Ethics, Political Science, and Policy, Planning, and Development, University of Southern California, Gould School of Law
This presentation will share findings from a new book edited by Elizabeth Garrett, Elizabeth Graddy and Howell Jackson, “Fiscal Challenges: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Budget Policy”, to be published in January 2008. Garrett will discuss findings from the book and present her research on transparency in the U.S. budget process and its implications for reforming the California budget process.
2007 Events
Environmental and Development Policy in China: Is Harmonization Possible?
A Panel Discussion
Live Video Broadcast
Date and Time: December 10, 2007 – 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Location: USC State Capital Center, 1800 I Street, Sacramento
Open to the Public
Refreshments will be served
Featured Speaker:
Dr. Daniel Dudek, Environmental Defense. Dr. Dudek will discuss market approaches to environmental mitigation and describe his current work on developing a SO2 emissions trading system in China.
Panelists:
Prof. Shui Yan Tang, USC. Prof. Tang will discuss institutional issues in environmental and economic policy. He will address institutional designs for effective collaborations and governance in China.
Prof. Surya Prakash, USC. Prof. Prakash will discuss scientific advances in coal to methanol conversion, and describe experiments being conducted in China to introduce methanol as a household fuel.
Prof. Lan Xue, Tsinghua University. Prof. Xue will provide an overview of Chinese environmental policy. He will describe the Chinese regulatory environment and discuss some specific policy efforts in progress.
Moderator:
Prof. Daniel A. Mazmanian, USC. Throughout 2005-06 he served as a member of the Task Force on Environmental Governance of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.
China’s unprecedented rapid growth over the past few decades has come with significant environmental costs and is taking place in a highly integrated global economy and society. China’s growth and its consequences are following a pattern observed in other countries: Industrialization leads to increased environmental pollution, and it is not until income rises substantially that environmental problems are addressed and mitigated. The Chinese government recognizes its growing environmental problems and has engaged scientists, engineers and public policy analysts from around the world in seeking viable solutions. This panel will discuss China’s prospects for achieving both environmental and economic growth objectives.
An Evening with the Rosensteins – The Dynamic State of California Healthcare
Date and Time: November 28, 2007 – 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: USC State Capital Center, 1800 I Street, Sacramento
Open to the Public
Presenters:
Stan Rosenstein
Chief Deputy Director, Medical Care Services, Department of Health Services
Marcia Levy-Rosenstein
Chief, Prevention 2010, California Department of Public Health
Stan and Marcia Rosenstein will share their experience and insights on California’s health care policy and services. Together, they have more than 50 years in California health care.
The Warhol Economy: How Fashion, Art and Music Drive New York City
Date and Time: November 1, 2007 — 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Location: Library and Courts Building, 914 Capitol Mall, Room 500
Open to the Public
Presenter:
Elizabeth Currid
Assistant Professor, University of Southern California, School of Policy, Planning, And Development
This presentation will share findings from Professor Currid’s new book, “The Warhol Economy: How Fashion, Art and Music Drive New York City”, published in July 2007. Currid will discuss what drives a city’s economy: clubs, fashion and art shows or the corporate office? In her book, Currid investigates how the intricate art scene in New York has contributed to its thriving economy and may even rival the economic output of traditional businesses. Currid also highlights the connection between social networks inherent of creative industries and the products they create. Come and learn what the Warhol economy consists of, its relevance to urban policy makers and its implications for economic development policymaking.
- Book Information about “The Warhol Economy: How Fashion, Art, and Music Drive New York City”
- Review of “The Warhol Economy” published in The Economist (September 6, 2007).
- Review of “The Warhol Economy” published in The New York Times (October 21, 2007).
- Review of “The Warhol Economy” published in The New Yorker (October 22, 2007).
Charter School Indicators: A Tool For School Improvement and Accountability
Date and Time: October 17, 2007 — 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Location: Library and Courts Building, 914 Capitol Mall, Room 500
Co-Sponsored by the USC Rossier School of Education
Open to the Public
Presenters:
Guilbert Hentschke
Professor, University of Southern California, USC Rossier School of Education
Center on Educational Governance
Gary Painter
Associate Professor, USC School of Policy, Planning and Development
This presentation will share findings from the Charter School Indicators report published in April 2007. The first report of its kind, Charter School Indicators-USC transforms data submitted to the state for compliance purposes into a tool for school improvement and accountability. USC’s Center on Educational Governance built CSI-USC in partnership with the charter school community: state policymakers, charter school authorizers, charter school operators and professional organization of charter schools. Performance measures are organized into four areas: financial resources and investment, school quality, student performance and academic productivity. Most indices compare charter schools to non-charter public schools. An aggregate of school data, CSI-USC is designed for readers to draw their own conclusions. By examining these school data as a collection, CSI-USC captures the value of a school using a broader array of indicators to measure the continued growth in charter schools and their enrollment.
Policy Luncheon – Developing a Long Term Strategy for Planning and Funding Transportation Infrastructure in California.
Date and Time: July 19, 2007 — 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Location: Library and Courts Building, 914 Capitol Mall, Room 500
Open to the Public
Presenters:
Genevieve Giuliano
Professor, University of Southern California, Price School of Public Policy
Director, METRANS
Richard Little
Director, The Keston Institute for Public Finance and Infrastructure Policy
This presentation examines the changes taking place in the way transportation policy and investment decisions are made. To provide an understanding of these changes, they are placed in the larger context of major trends in public-sector decision making: devolution, fragmentation, and privatization.
USC Workshop on Privacy and Identity Management
Date and Time: July 16, 2007 — 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: USC State Capital Center, 1800 I Street, Sacramento, CA
Invitation Only
The one-day invitational workshop will provide an opportunity for a small group of state government executives, researchers and global experts in the field of privacy and identity management to convene and discuss issues that have emerged as California policymakers develop and implement privacy, identity management and data sharing policies. The focus will be on providing participants with the tools to consider and analyze identity management issues from the perspectives of multiple stakeholder groups
Policy Luncheon – Immigrants and Boomers: The Future of California Housing
Date and Time: April 18, 2007– 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Location: Library and Courts Building, 914 Capitol Mall, Room 500
Open to the Public
Presenters:
Dowell Myers
Professor, University of Southern California, School of Policy, Planning and Development
Director, Population Dynamics Research Group
Raphael Bostic
Associate Professor, University of Southern California, School of Policy, Planning and Development
This presentation addresses key housing issues illuminated in Dr. Myers’s newly released book, Immigrants and Boomers: Forging a New Social Contract for the Future of America. This presentation focuses on understanding the surprises and uncertainty of the California housing marketing and the long and short term inter-dependence of housing and demographics.
Wall Street Journal, “Boomers’ Good Life Tied to Better Life for Immigrants” (05/07/07)
Policy Luncheon – Immigrants and Boomers: Educational Implications for Growing the New Middle Class Taxpayers
Date and Time: March 8, 2007 — 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Location: Library and Courts Building, 914 Capitol Mall, Room 500
Open to the Public
Presenter:
Dowell Myers
Professor, University of Southern California, School of Policy, Planning and Development
Director, Population Dynamics Research Group
This presentation addresses key education issues illuminated in Dr. Myers’s newly released book, Immigrants and Boomers: Forging a New Social Contract for the Future of America.
An Evening with Grantland Johnson – Health Policy Reform:Long Awaited California Opportunity
Date and Time: March 8, 2007 – 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: USC State Capital Center, 1800 I Street, Sacramento
Grantland Johnson, Former Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, reflects on current issues informed by his years of experience in national, state and local service.
Policy Luncheon – Immigrants and Boomers: Forging a New Social Contract for the Future of America
Date and Time: February 14, 2007 — 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Location: Library and Courts Building, 914 Capitol Mall, Room 500
Open to the Public
Presenter:
Dowell Myers
Professor, University of Southern California, School of Policy, Planning and Development
Director, Population Dynamics Research Group
This presentation addresses the major issues illuminated in Dr. Myers’s newly released book, Immigrants and Boomers: Forging a New Social Contract for the Future of America. Many Americans regard the massive influx of immigrants over the past 30 years with great anxiety, fearing new burdens and unwanted changes to the nation’s ethnic, social, and economic identity. Virtually unnoticed in the contentious national debate over immigration is the even more significant demographic change about to occur as the first wave of the Baby Boom generation retires, slowly draining the workforce and straining the federal budget to the breaking point. In this presentation, noted demographer Dowell Myers proposes a new way of thinking about these issues and argues that each of these two powerful demographic shifts may hold the keys to resolving the problems presented by the other.
Presentation and Handouts:
Lecture: The Future of Public Administration
Date and Time: November 30, 2006 – 5:30PM – 7:00 PM
Location: USC State Capital Center, 1800 I Street, Sacramento
Presenter: Dr. Chester Newland
Frances R. and John Duggan Distinguished Professorship in Public Administration –