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.

Transportation is the largest direct source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., according to the EPA – with cars, trucks, ships, trains, and planes burning fossil fuels to move people and goods across the country. Genevieve Giuliano, the Interim Dean of the USC Price School, joins the show to discuss sustainable transportation policies, as well as her own research on reducing emissions associated with California's freight industry.

Marijuana laws in the U.S. have changed rapidly over the past decade, with roughly half of states permitting adults to consume cannabis recreationally. Proponents say legalizing cannabis can reduce racial disparities in drug arrests, raise tax revenue and control cannabis purity. But the fast-growing retail market and availability of high-potency marijuana has raised public health concerns at a time when it’s difficult to assess which policy approaches are most effective. We are joined by Rosalie Pacula, a USC Price School Professor and leading expert on cannabis policy. Her research has explored the different regulatory approaches taken by states and countries to legalizing cannabis, as well as the public health outcomes on addiction, ER visits, mental health and youth smoking.