The Moral Spectrum of Conservatives
The GOP candidates must keep in mind that conservatives care most about loyalty to family and nation, while libertarians value liberty. Video
Inside the Mind of a Flip-Flopper
Rivals accuse Mitt Romney of being inconsistent. But USC research finds that “flip-flopping” can be a rational response to uncertainty.
Reactions: New Hampshire Primary
USC’s Dan Schnur and Christian Grose analyze the results and look to South Carolina. Grose thinks new Republican primary rules could extend the battle.
Strong China = Peace?
China’s military expansion and economic ascendancy may be good things, bringing stability to the East Asian region, a new book finds.
How To Pay Teachers?
Rossier School faculty members offer strategy advice to Congress,
as it approves a quadrupled budget to the Teacher Incentive Fund.
Language & Health Care
A study finds that foreign-born Latinos view the quality of their health care treatment more positively when their doctors speak the same language.
High-Tech Doctor’s Bag
From Wii games to smart phone blood sugar monitors, technology is poised
to change health care, getting patients more involved.
College for Immigrants
Calif. law letting illegal immigrants pay in-state tuition must be backed by the federal DREAM Act, to help the U.S. economy, says Jody Agius Vallejo.
Post-Midterms: The Pulse of Californians
After a midterm election that saw Republicans make big gains, a new USC College/L.A. Times Poll peeks into the minds of California voters, with a special look at Latinos and Asian Americans. How did they vote? What do they think of immigration? What should Governor-
Elect Jerry Brown tackle first?
November Initiatives
Next month’s ballot measures focus on everything but the economy, according to USC’s Initiative and Referendum Institute.
U.S. Supreme Court
The nation’s highest court, now home to three female justices,
is set to confront
issues of free speech
vs. hate speech in its new term.
Poll: Whitman Besting Brown
A USC poll finds that California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman is leading Jerry Brown by 11 points among undecided voters. In the U.S. Senate
race, Senator Barbara Boxer is ahead of challenger Carly Fiorina by five points. And the female vote may be key, as more women remain undecided.
Islamophobia and the Media
An irrational fear and hatred of Muslims is spreading through the American body politic, writes USC’s Diane Winston.
And rather than working to dispel this prejudice, many mainstream news outlets are feeding the maelstrom of misinformation. A look at what journalists ought to be doing instead.
Recession’s Unseen Toll
Unemployment can have mental health consequences that linger decades after a layoff, says Robert Gore, outlining successful ways to cope.
Aiding Memory
A new study finds that, contrary to conventional belief, memorization works best when the brain repeats the same patterns each time.
The Art of the Tweet
In the golden age of advertising, ad whizzes knew how to craft the perfect, concise headline to get their message across. In the era of Twitter, this skill is newly important. USC marketing expert Ira Kalb explains what Twitter followers want to hear and what they don’t, and lays out the key ingredients of a good tweet.
Climate Policy & Jobs
New federal green-house gas policies could not only keep energy costs down, but create up to 2.5 million jobs, per a roadmap by USC’s Adam Rose.
Leaving Iraq
Public diplomacy scholar Nicholas Cull considers whether Obama’s withdrawal of combat troops will improve America’s image abroad.
Health and the City
Contrary to ideas about urban sprawl, a study from USC’s Lisa Schweitzer finds that air pollution exposure is worse in dense cities.
Status Report: Real Estate Recovery
It’s been three years since the sub-prime mortgage crisis began, triggering a global recession. Richard Green, director of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, takes stock of the housing market in California and other states. How close are we to real estate recovery, and will we ever see pre-2007 prices again?
Open-Primary Vote
Californians vented their frustration with partisan politics by passing Prop 14. But changing primaries may not help, says John Matsusaka.
Tech Tastes
Despite convergences in TV, computer and phone, consumers still want multiple devices, says David Wertheimer, USC Entertainment Technology Center.
Oil Spill Turns the Tide
The BP spill has done more than pour millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf; its impact has spilled over into public sentiment, turning Californians against offshore drilling. The USC College/L.A. Times Poll finds that since 2009 there has been a 10-point shift, with a majority now opposing offshore oil. Click for video.
Dancing with Disaster
In the last 20 years the burden of risk shifted
to individuals, leaving us more vulnerable to calamities, finds a new book from USC’s Andrew Lakoff.