Former Los Angeles Controller Ron Galperin moderates a conversation with political experts David Crane, Bob Hertzberg, and Richard Leib on how California's tax structure compares nationally. They discuss whether the state's high revenue levels translate into effective public and private outcomes, and what reforms could better align fiscal policy with performance. CPF Managing Director Kamy Akhavan gives closing remarks. This conversation is part of CPF's "California at 175: Stuck or Moving Forward?" conference in partnership with the USC Open Dialogue Project and USC Casden Institute.

Featuring:
-David Crane: Co-Founder and President, Govern for California
-Bob Hertzberg: Former Speaker, California State Assembly; Former Majority Leader, California State Senate
-Richard Leib: Chair, Board of UC Regents; President and CEO, Dunleer Strategies
-Ron Galperin: Former Controller, City of Los Angeles; Former Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future
-Kamy Akhavan: Managing Director, USC Center for the Political Future

POLITICO's Melanie Mason moderates a conversation with political experts Douglas Becker, Susan Estrich, Ken Khachigian, and Hank Plante on the history of political parties in California, voter trends from the 2024 presidential election, how the "Trump factor" affects Democrats and Republicans, and the upcoming 2026 midterms. This conversation is part of CPF's "California at 175: Stuck or Moving Forward?" conference in partnership with the USC Open Dialogue Project and USC Casden Institute.

Featuring:
-Douglas Becker: Professor of International Relations, USC
-Susan Estrich: Legal Expert; Political Strategist
-Ken Khachigian: Aide to President Nixon; Chief Speechwriter for President Reagan
-Hank Plante: Peabody and Emmy Award Winning Journalist; Former Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future
-Melanie Mason: California Bureau Chief and Co-Author of POLITICO's California Playbook

CPF's "California at 175: Stuck or Moving Forward?" conference begins with welcome remarks from CPF Co-Director Mike Murphy, CPF Managing Director Kamy Akhavan, and Neeraj Sood, USC Open Dialogue Project Director. Spring 2026 CPF Fellow Seema Mehta moderates a conversation with political experts Mike Bonin, Fernando Guerra, Mike Murphy, and Amy Thoma Tan on the 2026 ballot initiatives in California. They discuss the most impactful ballot measures in California history, how Democrats and Republicans utilize ballot initiatives, and the initiatives in the upcoming 2026 midterms. This conference is in partnership with the USC Open Dialogue Project and USC Casden Institute.

Featuring:
-Mike Bonin: Director, CSULA Pat Brown Institute; Former Member, Los Angeles City Council; Former Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future

-Fernando Guerra: Director, LMU Center for the Study of Los Angeles

-Mike Murphy: Co-Director, USC Center for the Political Future

-Amy Thoma Tan: President, Cobalt Public Affairs

-Seema Mehta: Veteran Political Reporter, Los Angeles Times; Spring 2026 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future

-Kamy Akhavan: Managing Director, USC Center for the Political Future

-Neeraj Sood: Director, USC Open Dialogue Project