Hundreds of attendees gathered Tuesday at USC’s Town & Gown Ballroom for the USC Center for the Political Future’s annual Warschaw Conference on Practical Politics, this year titled “America 250: Young or Old Democracy?”
Beyond policy discussions, the conference aimed to bring people across all ideological lines together, encouraging respectful debate and dialogue and reminding attendees that disagreement doesn’t have to result in division.
The daylong conference brought together leading voices from politics, government, media and academia to examine the nation’s most pressing political issues as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary. Panels discussed the road ahead for both major political parties, the 2026 midterm elections, the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term and whether Democrats can mount a comeback.
USC Annenberg alum and current CNN anchor Elex Michaelson moderated a panel titled “American Democracy: From George Washington to Donald Trump and Beyond,” which focused on the broader health of American democracy.
“I love USC. I’m proud to be a Trojan,” Michaelson said. Michaelson attributed this pride to USC’s Center for the Political Future co-directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy for fostering a space where political opponents can engage respectfully.
“We need to remember that our opponents are not our enemies,” Michaelson said. “Part of what this conference is, is modeling that behavior, showing people at this time of so much division that we can sit down and talk to each other. We can disagree in an agreeable way.”
He said he hoped attendees leave with a commitment to continued dialogue, even — and especially — across differences.
“When there’s a conversation, there’s a chance for compromise, for mutual understanding, for mutual respect,” Michaelson said. “If we just are in our silos, that’s where we risk the idea of civil war and that’s not what we want.”
USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future (CPF) Managing Director Kamy Akhavan said the conference is designed to re-engage young people who increasingly feel disillusioned with politics. Many students, he said, believe the system is broken or dominated by money and choose to “tune out at their own peril.”
“I really would love for this conference to get USC students more interested in being part of the solution for the problems they see in the world,” Akhavan said. He added that events like the Warschaw Conference help students feel empowered, showing them that their ideas and experiences matter and that “there is a real path for them to make change.”
Akhavan pointed to the tangible outcomes he has seen from previous conferences, noting that bringing leading political figures together on campus helps break down partisan barriers.
“When these top-tier leaders come to the USC campus, they are listening and learning from students,” Akhavan said. “Democrats and Republicans will be spending time together. Independents, progressives and far right conservatives are going to be spending time together and realizing, ‘Oh, we actually do want to solve some of these problems. We might not have the same exact solutions, but we do want to address them, and they might find some areas of common ground’…and that’s part of the reason why we keep doing it.”
Edmundo Diaz, a staff member at USC Dornsife who attended the conference, said he came hoping to hear fresh ideas beyond what he described as the repetitive tone of everyday media.
“I’ve just been attending a lot of CPF events in general, but I just got interested in actually seeing what new topics can be discussed,” Diaz said.
He added that the panels left him feeling unexpectedly optimistic.
“There’s some people who have great vision of what’s to come and just good analysis. So I think in my own dark hole of social media and the internet, it seems like kind of the same old hopelessness,” Diaz said. “I think I got, in a cliche way, some hope that there are some real ideas being circulated.”
One of the panels, titled “The Democrats: Coming Back or Cracking Up?,” focused on the shifting dynamics of elections and voter engagement, highlighting how candidates are increasingly centering their campaigns on cost-of-living concerns — including rent, groceries and student loan debt — a strategy panelists said is resonating strongly with younger voters.
Another panelist, Neera Tanden, domestic policy advisor under former President Joe Biden, emphasized the urgency of strengthening democratic norms, asking how the country can meaningfully restore and protect institutional guardrails. Tanden pointed to declining economic mobility as a key challenge and called on political leaders to compete on ideas for reforming institutions to better support upward opportunity.
Panel moderator Mike Murphy, co-director of the Center for the Political Future, guided the conversation as panelists debated reforming the nominating process for primary elections to give voters more power in selecting candidates they are excited about.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, a panelist, addressed what he described as deep harm to the Department of Justice, saying it will take significant time to rebuild public trust. Torrez said Americans across the political spectrum are uneasy about the perceived misuse of federal agencies, noting that the “weaponization” of the DOJ has made it difficult for either party to restore norms and professional conduct.
“If you can close agencies, you can transform agencies,” Tanden said.
Tanden said the event allowed her to learn from veteran practitioners, including campaign strategist Tad Devine and former senior advisor to President Joe Biden, Mike Donilon, as well as rising next-generation leaders.
“It’s a great way to hear cutting-edge ideas from people who are really trying to solve the country’s problems,” Tanden said.
She hoped students and attendees absorbed the urgency of addressing the economic pressures facing Americans.
Panelsists on Murphy’s panel discussed the looming 2026 midterm elections, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s presidential ambitions and the early maneuvering surrounding the 2028 race for the White House. Torrez said candidates must present a clear and compelling vision of the future — one that speaks to both current voters and future generations.
The conversation also touched on the risk of a government shutdown, recent immigration crackdowns and growing pressures on federal agencies.
Panelists on Michaelson’s panel included Mike Donilon, Ed Goeas, Jeffery Jenkins and Richard North Patterson who warned that U.S. democratic institutions are under mounting stress and said political polarization, institutional strain and heightened public distrust are creating new vulnerabilities.
Former House Democratic Leader for the U.S. House of Representatives Dick Gephardt underscored the importance of civic responsibility, urging Americans to stay committed to strengthening the country rather than succumbing to political division.
“If you’re an American, you won the lottery,” Gephardt said. “Let’s solve the problems. Let’s respect one another. Let’s love one another and let’s make this country better than it’s ever been.”