Schwarzenegger, USC form policy think tank

The new USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy will be housed in the Price School of Public Policy. Initial members of the board of advisors include Henry Cisneros, the former Clinton cabinet member and San Antonio mayor; Vicente Fox, president of Mexico from 2000 to 2006; Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; and George Shultz, the economist and former Secretary of State.

From the USC release:

The institute will focus on the responsibility of leaders to transcend partisanship to implement policies that most benefit the people they serve, with five priority areas: education; energy and environment; fiscal and economic policy; health and human wellness; and political reform.

“We are delighted to partner with Gov. Schwarzenegger in establishing this vital institute,” Nikias said. “The University of Southern California is committed to promoting civic engagement both nationally and internationally, and the new Schwarzenegger Institute will advance this mission with the understanding that policy decisions should be evidence-based and best derived through critical analysis and mutual respect for competing well-reasoned positions. This is the only way we can achieve the best possible outcomes for our shared, global future.”

Schwarzenegger added: “One of the great lessons I learned as governor of California was that the best solutions to common problems could only be found when each side was willing to engage thoughtfully and respectfully with each other. This institute is dedicated to promoting a new era of post-partisanship, where solutions are the result of intelligent and civil discussion between people with deeply held principles who understand the need to work through their disagreements to achieve real solutions."

Schwarzenegger's former senior advisor, Bonnie Reiss, will lead the institute with academic director Nancy Staudt.

USC photo of university president C.L. Max Nikias and ex-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, by Dietmar Quistorf