Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs – commonly known as DEI – have become a hot-button issue in U.S. politics. Many organizations launched or expanded DEI programs in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by a police officer. Now, a backlash against DEI has turned into policymaking, with federal, state and local governments aiming to restrict or ban DEI programs. Shaun Harper, a University and Provost Professor at the USC Price School, joins the show to discuss policymakers’ actions against DEI and the potential consequences.

Owning a home has long been promoted as a tenet of the American Dream, but many Americans now find that dream out of reach. Last year, the share of first-time home buyers shrank to historic lows, according to the National Association of Realtors. To help us understand the causes of the housing crisis and how we can solve it, we are joined by Richard Green, director and chair of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate.

With President-elect Donald Trump returning to the White House and Republicans retaking control of Congress, conservative policymakers are hoping to reshape the “administrative state.” That’s the collection of federal agencies, regulatory boards and the like that oversee everything from environmental protection to education policy. USC Price Associate Professor William Resh joins the show to explain how Trump and his allies, including billionaire Elon Musk, could transform the federal bureaucracy and what that could mean for government workers and the public.