2024 Democratic National Convention: USC experts available

Democratic Party delegates will convene in Chicago, Illinois, from Monday, August 19 to Thursday, August 22, for the Democratic National Convention, where Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, will formally accept the party’s nomination.

USC experts are available to comment on the convention’s impact on political strategy, media tactics and voter engagement.

Contact: Nina Raffio, raffio@usc.edu or (213) 442-8464; USC Media Relations, uscnews@usc.edu or (213) 740-2215

Our Experts

Christian Grose is an expert in U.S. politics, government and elections. Grose is a professor of political science and public policy at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and academic director of the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy at the USC Price School of Public Policy.

Contact: cgrose@usc.edu

 

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Mindy Romero is a political sociologist whose research focuses on political behavior and patterns of voting and political underrepresentation, particularly among youth and communities of color.

She is the founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at USC Price.

Contact: msromero@usc.edu

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Steve Caplan is an expert in digital media, political advertising and communications strategy.

He is an adjunct instructor at USC Annenberg and the founder of Message, an award-winning strategic communications and marketing firm based in LA. Before launching Message, Caplan was a partner at GMMB, one of the nation’s leading cause marketing firms, renowned for leading former President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign to victory.

Contact: scaplan@usc.edu

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Geoffrey Cowan is an expert in campaign finance laws, policy and government ethics, journalism and communications education. He is a lawyer, academic administrator, government official, best-selling author, distinguished professor, nonprofit executive, and Emmy Award-winning producer.

Cowan is a university professor of communication and the Annenberg Family Chair in Communication Leadership at USC Annenberg.

Contact: gcowan@usc.edu

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Jeffrey Jenkins is an expert in American political institutions, Congress, political parties, lawmaking, separation-of-powers and political economy.

Jenkins is provost professor of public policy, political science, and law, the Maria B. Crutcher professor of citizenship and democratic values and director of the Political Institutions and Political Economy (PIPE) Collaborative at USC Price.

Contact: jajenkins@usc.edu

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Martin Kaplan is an expert in campaign coverage on local TV news; the use of narrative to communicate science; and the impact of the attention economy on democracy.

Kaplan is a research professor of communication and journalism; the Norman Lear Chair in entertainment, media and society; and director of the Norman Lear Center at USC Annenberg.

Contact: martyk@usc.edu

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Morris Levy is an expert in race, ethnicity and politics; voter ID laws; elections; and attitudes on immigration in the U.S. and Europe. He has conducted numerous studies, including research showing a decline in tolerance toward racist expression in the U.S., particularly among younger Americans, liberals and the college-educated.

Levy is an associate professor of political science and international relations at USC Dornsife.

Contact: morrisl@usc.edu

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Bob Shrum is the director of the Center for the Political Future and the Carmen H. and Louis Warschaw Chair in practical politics at USC Dornsife.

A renowed political strategist, Shrum has served as speechwriter for Senator George McGovern and Senator Edward Kennedy, as well as a strategist in numerous winning campaigns at various levels of government, including for Joe Biden, John Kerry and Al Gore in presidential races.

Contact: shrum@usc.edu

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Christina Bellantoni is an expert in political journalism and national politics. Bellantoni has over 20 years of experience as a reporter and editor, as a producer and as an analyst on national TV. She has covered local, state and federal government, along with four presidential campaigns and the White House.

Bellantoni is a professor of professional practice at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Contact: christina.bellantoni@usc.edu

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