Recent Announcements

Today, California operates the largest and most robust expanded learning infrastructure in the nation. California’s expanded learning programs seek to enlighten, inspire, and engage young people before and after school, during inter-session, and in summer so they can build essential skills needed for success in life. Proposition 49, which passed in 2002 and was implemented in 2006, dedicated an estimated $6.77 billion dollars to support school-based expanded learning programs across the state. On the 20th anniversary of Proposition 49 passing in California, we reflect on what California’s expanded learning programs have achieved, what gaps remain, and where California should go in the future.

The USC Schwarzenegger Institute-USC Price California Issues Poll is a representative survey of registered voters who live in the state of California. It is a snapshot of California voters’ attitudes on the dates in which it was conducted. The poll is conducted by Dr. Christian Grose, Raquel Centeno, and the student participants in the USC Schwarzenegger Institute Democracy Lab. Students and colleagues at USC as part of the Democracy Lab designed and wrote questions for the poll, and developed, fielded, and implemented the poll. The survey was fielded from October 30 to November 2, 2022.

California’s role as a worldwide leader in enacting climate change policy all started on July 22, 2002. That’s when then-Gov. Gray Davis signed into law AB 1493, which established California’s Clean Car Standards. Many of the architects of California’s AB 1493 gathered at Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator on July 22 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this landmark legislation.

Offshore wind electricity could bring employment gains, cost savings, carbon dioxide reductions, and improve the stability of California’s electric grid according to a new study from the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Titled “California’s Offshore Wind Electricity Opportunity,” the report highlights the economic impacts available as the Golden State seeks to take advantage of its coastal location by farming this natural energy resource.

A glossary for the 2021 Austrian World Summit.

On Wednesday, September 23rd, the Schwarzenegger Institute launched the Democracy Grants for Voting Access & Election Administration.

Last week, Dr. Neeraj Sood, Professor and Vice Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs at the Price School of Public Policy, joined USC President Carol Folt and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to discuss the COVID-19 antibody research study, conducted by USC and the County of Los Angeles with support from the Schwarzenegger Institute. At a time when everyone is looking for ways to make a positive difference, our team at the Schwarzenegger Institute -- led by Senior Fellow and LA City Councilmember-Elect Kevin de León – was honored to do our part by providing funding and operational support at test sites across Los Angeles County.

The USC Schwarzenegger Institute recognizes the need for expertise during our current moment. Professors and students at USC and beyond have quickly transitioned to online instruction to complete their semesters. However, this has created new challenges and opportunities for teachers creating new online instructional content. We have created the USC Schwarzenegger Institute Virtual Speakers’ Bureau for university professors looking for expert guest lecturers in the Institute’s key mission areas of political reforms, environmental policy, and after-school education.

The USC Schwarzenegger Institute was proud to continue its collaboration with the armed forces by hosting a round table conversation with senior leaders of the United States Marine Corps. On August 26, Lieutenant General Joseph L. Osterman, Commanding General of the First Marine Expeditionary Force and Brigadier General Sean M. Salene, Director of Communications for the United States Marine Corps visited Governor Schwarzenegger's production company offices for a conversation on increasing collaboration between the entertainment industry and the Marine Corps.

Former California Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic State Senator Fran Pavley have collaborated on California's climate policies for over a decade. As the Oregon legislature is set to consider passage of House Bill 2020, a cap-and-invest program also known as the Clean Energy Jobs bill, the two joined forces again on an Op-Ed that was recently published in The Oregonian. At the heart of their editorial, Schwarzenegger and Pavley point to the success of California’s cap-and-invest program and suggest that Oregon will experience similar economic growth while meeting their new climate goals, if they can reach a bi-partisan agreement with HB 2020.

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger convened a Talanoa Dialogue-style event in his native country of Austria, bringing together legislators, activists and entrepreneurs to share stories and best practices around combating the serious dangers of air pollution. The event, titled “Pollution: Making the Invisible Visible,” was held May 29 by the USC Schwarzenegger Institute during the R20 Austrian World Summit in Vienna. Schwarzenegger started things off by discussing how leaders must communicate the right message about climate change, highlighting the immediate health impacts people face from pollution.

Founded in 2012 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy is committed to advancing post-partisanship politics, where leaders put people over political parties and work together to find the best ideas and solutions to benefit the people they serve. The Institute seeks to influence public policy and public debate in finding evidence-based solutions to the serious challenges we face. In addition to being a strong voice in public policy and public debates, the USC Schwarzenegger Institute supports new academic research related to its three main areas of focus: energy and the environment, political reform, and after-school education. Here are 14 ways that the USC Schwarzenegger Institute is making a positive impact for global change.