U.S. Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan will become director of the Center for the Political Future (CPF) at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences after completing his term in January, bringing nearly two decades of experience in Congress and a record of bipartisan lawmaking to the center.
Peters will also be appointed the Carmen H. and Louis Warschaw Endowed Chair in Practical Politics, currently held by retiring founding director Robert Shrum , who is retiring. He will serve alongside Republican strategist Mike Murphy , who remains co-director. Founded in 2018, CPF brings political leaders and strategists from across the ideological spectrum to USC to engage students and foster civil dialogue. It is believed to be the only university political center in the country jointly led by a Democrat and a Republican.
Now in his second Senate term after three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, Peters has been recognized for his legislative effectiveness. The nonpartisan Center for Effective Lawmaking ranked him the most effective U.S. senator in each of the last three Congresses. He first earned the top ranking while his party was in the minority, something no senator had accomplished in more than 50 years.
“I see this as a capstone to my years in public service and an opportunity to help prepare the next generation to take the reins,” Peters said. “CPF has done a terrific job bringing people with different perspectives together. I’m excited to build on Bob Shrum’s accomplishments and work with Mike Murphy to encourage more young people to get involved in our democracy and show that people who disagree can still find common ground and get things done.”
Peters plans to expand CPF’s presence in Washington, D.C., using USC’s Capital Campus as a base for courses and programs that connect students more directly with policymakers and the institutions of government. He will divide his time between Washington and Los Angeles and teach at both campuses, while also creating opportunities to bring USC faculty and their research closer to policymakers.
“Gary Peters brings an extraordinary combination of public service, bipartisan leadership and real experience getting things done in Washington,” USC Dornsife Dean James Bullock said. “He has spent his career showing that you can hold strong political convictions and still work productively with people who see the world differently. I’m especially excited about what his leadership will make possible for our students, both in Los Angeles and in Washington.”
Peters’ record in Congress reflects the kind of bipartisan approach he plans to bring to CPF. During the 117th Congress, he authored 19 bipartisan stand-alone bills that were signed into law, the most by any senator in a single Congress in more than four decades.
Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, who worked with Peters on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, described him as “a consistent, bipartisan partner who was always willing to work across the aisle and deliver real results for the American people.” He added, “I know he will carry that same thoughtful, collaborative spirit with him to USC, and I look forward to seeing what this new partnership produces.”
For Murphy, that commitment to collaboration is central to Peters’ new role.
“Gary Peters is that rare thing: a principled politician who also knows how to get things done,” Murphy said. “I very much look forward to working with him as we grow the center’s mission to teach and inspire USC students to embrace the idea that civility and reasoned compromise are far from the enemy of politics; they’re essential to turning political disagreement into practical results.”
Through its fellows program, public events and the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics, CPF gives students firsthand exposure to practical politics and connects them with people who have shaped campaigns, government and public policy. The center also provides internships, scholarships and professional development.
The move to USC will mark a return to higher education for Peters. Before his congressional career, he taught strategic management and finance at Oakland University and Wayne State University and held the Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government at Central Michigan University.
“I’ve learned a lot over the years about what it takes to get things done at all levels of government, and I look forward to sharing my experience with students,” Peters said. “But I also expect to learn from them.”