Pepperdine University School of Public Policy

How does competition in the broadband market affect consumers? A new report from Dr. James Prieger for CTIA examines how the entry of 5G fixed wireless internet has influenced cable internet prices and consumer savings. Using broadband household survey data and an econometric analysis, the report finds that cable internet prices were approximately 12% lower following the entry of fixed wireless competitors. From 2023 to 2025, estimated consumer savings across several groups of households totaled between $6.4 billion and $28.5 billion. One notable finding: in most of the scenarios studied, some of the greatest benefits went to cable customers who never switched providers. The research highlights how competition can influence prices across a market and explores important policy implications, including the role of spectrum allocation in expanding wireless broadband access. Read the full report and explore the findings: https://lnkd.in/grAARQzm

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Few things inspire more hope than our graduate students. Whether strengthening local governments to help communities flourish or shaping policy leadership in national security, our students are actively building a better world. Today, for #PepperdineGives, we invite you to invest in the next generation of leaders. Your support directly funds immediate student scholarships, summer fellowships, and impactful academic programming.  ✍ Partner with us today: https://lnkd.in/gm9CHyb7

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Is modern political rhetoric distorting our understanding of America’s founding principles? In his latest article, "Equality and Its Discontents"—the first in a new series—Dr. Steven Hayward, Visiting Professor at the School of Public Policy, examines how misconceptions have altered the public's perception of the Declaration of Independence. Read Dr. Hayward's full analysis on Civitas Outlook:  https://lnkd.in/gMmzcbbK #PepperdineSPP #USPolitics

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Congratulations to Dr. Luisa Blanco for recieving the Pepperdine's Howard A. White Award for Teaching Excellence. This award is particularly meaningful because it reflects the support and voices of students, making it a powerful testament to the impact of excellent teaching and mentorship. As she begins her 20th year at Pepperdine University School of Public Policy, Dr. Blanco expresses gratitude to the students, teachers, mentors, colleagues, research collaborators, family, and friends who have contributed to this journey. We are proud to celebrate this well deserved recognition and the lasting impact of exceptional educators in our community.

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An example of the world-class speakers we are bringing to campus to engage with our Master of Middle East graduate students in Washington, DC. Thank you, Roya Hakakian, for sharing your time with Pepperdine University.

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Congratulations to Luisa Blanco, Julian Bond Institute's Sara Weiss, and Pepperdine MPP students Phil Husband, Nataly Luna, and Enrique Torres on this collaborative research study highlighting financial statistics for low- and moderate-income Latino adults in the state of California. Read the findings 👇

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Serious about shaping the future of diplomacy, national security, and policy in the Middle East? Applications are now open for our Master of Middle East Policy Studies program. Study in Washington, DC, with leading experts from The Washington Institute For Near East Policy—tuition-free! https://lnkd.in/g9HWfWSi

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North American trade depends on more than open markets. It also depends on clear, enforceable rules that create a strong framework for responding to disputes. In a new piece for the Wilson Center, Dr. Luisa Blanco, Professor of Public Policy at Pepperdine School of Public Policy and Wilson Center Visiting Fellow for Latin America, examines the U.S.-Mexico dispute and what it reveals about the balance between regulatory goals and binding USMCA commitments. With the USMCA review approaching, resolving agricultural trade friction through clear, rule-based frameworks will be important for supply-chain stability and regional food security. Read Dr. Blanco’s contribution here: https://lnkd.in/eEFWmbK3 #USMCA #TradePolicy #USMexico #AgriculturalTrade #WilsonCenter #PepperdineSPP

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Few forms of cooperation in the Americas have lasted a hundred years. Sport is one of them. In a new piece for The Wilson Center, Dr. Luisa Blanco, Professor of Public Policy at Pepperdine School of Public Policy and Wilson Center Visiting Fellow for Latin America, and MPP candidate Isabella Elias examine the Central American and Caribbean Games, which just celebrated their centennial in Santo Domingo with more than 6,200 athletes from 37 countries and territories. Blanco and Elias look at how these regional games get funded, what they have meant for diplomacy in the region, and what a century of cooperation in the hemisphere means ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/eXgvVAgZ

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📣 PPR is currently accepting paper submissions for consideration for Volume XIX. Deadlines and publication dates: ➡️ Volume XIX, Issue I  - Deadline for submission: September 25, 2026  - Publication: January 11, 2027 ➡️ Volume XIX, Issue II  - Deadline for submission: December 16, 2026  - Publication: May 10, 2027 Fill out this form to submit your paper: https://lnkd.in/ep9WPeJi See our submission guidelines here: https://lnkd.in/eQDC3MgJ Interested in joining our editorial team? DM us for details.

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How is nearshoring reshaping the US-Mexico economic partnership, and what does it mean for North American competitiveness? In her latest research and video feature for The Wilson Center, Pepperdine School of Public Policy Professor Luisa Blanco takes us to Chihuahua, Mexico, to examine the real-world impact of integrated supply chains and cross-border manufacturing. As nearshoring expands, maintaining clear, predictable trade rules under the USMCA will remain essential to protecting regional economic stability and driving growth. Watch the video:  https://lnkd.in/gHRnxzCu Read the full article:  https://lnkd.in/gDgpFreH

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A New Year in DC: Almost exactly 25 years ago (Oct 1, 2001), the acclaimed Middle East scholar, Dr. Martin Kramer, published the book, “Ivory Towers on Sand,” declaiming the ideological capture of Middle East studies in American higher education. Yesterday, he taught our first-year class, “The Making of the Modern Middle East” in our Master of Middle East Policy Studies (MMEPS) program. The reason our friends at the Washington Institute and Pepperdine University School of Public Policy partnered in launching the program was to bring our longstanding commitment to viewpoint diversity to a discipline that desperately needs it. Offered at our DC campus with this class hosted in brand new space, we are preparing the policy leaders for this vital region that America desperately needs. And Martin Kramer is teaching the first class in the course schedule.

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Applications are now open for the 2027 Roots of American Order Faculty Seminar! The Pepperdine School of Public Policy invites early-career faculty to our Washington, DC campus March 17 to 20, 2027, for Socratic colloquy on the American Founding, the Crisis of the House Divided, the Progressive era, and the rise of the administrative state. We seek to equip faculty participants through a content pedagogical transfer of the material so they can teach a variation of the "Roots" course on their own campuses. Colloquy discussions will include techniques to integrate documents into current and future teaching. Who should apply: junior faculty, teaching faculty, and full-time lecturers (five years of teaching experience or less, non-tenured). The seminar is fully funded. Travel to and from Washington, DC, hotel accommodations, and all meals are covered. The cohort is limited to 20 to 25 participants and includes an excursion to Mount Vernon. Applications close Monday, November 2, 2026. Apply at the link below or email roots.seminar@pepperdine.edu with any questions. Apply: https://lnkd.in/gunc-PNN

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We officially kicked off the Fall School of Public Policy semester with a bicoastal orientation. In Malibu, we welcomed one of our largest Master of Public Policy cohorts in years, continuing the tradition of our annual policy simulation at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. In Washington, DC, we introduced our second-year Middle East Policy students to our specialized program with The Washington Institute For Near East Policy. Stretching from coast to coast, we are honored to walk alongside these impressive leaders over the next two years. We are confident in their capabilities to change the world for the better.

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California’s local governments have a liability problem—and it’s getting more expensive. Our new report from Research Manager Niree Kodaverdian, Ph.D., and conducted with the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy, finds that claims over $1 million now account for nearly 70% of total liability exposure, despite making up less than 1% of incidents. The result? Rising insurance costs, greater pressure on public budgets, and fewer dollars for K-12 education, police and fire protection, roads, clean water, and other public services. The data is clear: California needs a serious conversation about liability reform. Congratulations to Dr. Kodaverdian, Research Associate Christopher Carr, and Research Analyst Intern Dharaneeshwar Prakash Omprakash for producing such a rigorous and insightful analysis! And a sincere thanks to the ARTHUR N RUPE FOUNDATION and California Association of Joint Powers Authorities (CAJPA) for supporting this critical research. https://lnkd.in/gUwqtS5M

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A great conversation on one of our latest research studies, "The Industrial Ecosystem’s Economic Contributions to Southern California," with Beacon Economics LLC. Thank you to the host of CREative Connections, Tim Jemal, CEO of NAIOP SoCal, for having SPP Dean Pete Peterson and research fellow Christopher Thornberg to discuss the future of commercial real estate and its economic and policy impacts in the state of California. 🎧 Listen to the full episode to learn more about the findings: https://lnkd.in/g8M7wtF

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As we begin a new academic year at Pepperdine University, I am pleased to share that this year’s presidential theme is “Courage.” Courage means taking action in the presence of fear — following the call, even when it is difficult; doing the right thing, even when it costs. C. S. Lewis described courage as “every virtue at a testing point.” Whenever our commitment to truth, justice, integrity, and love for our neighbor is tested, courage enables us to remain steadfast. Our theme verse, Joshua 1:9, reminds us that our courage is rooted in something unchanging: the steadfast presence of a good and gracious God. May we courageously pursue our Greater Purpose, confident that the same God who calls us also walks alongside us wherever we go.

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As AI changes the landscape of public service, local government leaders are taking steps to adapt. The Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership at the Pepperdine School of Public Policy recently hosted an intensive, two-day workshop: Applied AI in Local Government: Practical Skills for Public Sector Leaders at Pepperdine’s Drescher Graduate Campus in Malibu. Hosted by Executive Director Dr. Peter Pirnejad, ICMA-CM, alongside industry experts Jonathan Reichental, PhD, and Christopher Shepard, the hands-on lab sessions equipped public sector leaders to responsibly integrate AI platforms like Claude, Google Gemini, and ChatGPT into everyday municipal operations. Thank you to all the leaders who joined us to learn how emerging technology can improve public service delivery while preserving democratic accountability and public trust. 📖 Read about the AI Skills Training: https://lnkd.in/gtKBUCJ7 #LocalGov #PublicSector #ArtificialIntelligence #CivicLeadership #PepperdineSPP #GovernmentInnovation #EthicalAI #PublicService

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Effective public policy is built on the ground, engaging with our local communities and bringing strong, evidence-based recommendations to local and state leaders. At the recent Spotlight Santa Barbara forum, two leaders from the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy joined regional experts to tackle some of California’s most pressing challenges: Pete Peterson highlighted the structural realities facing California, warning of an upcoming "identity crisis" as decades of continuous population growth plateau, a trend with large implications for representation and family retention. Lee Ohanian, our Giles O'Malley Distinguished Visiting Professor and UCLA economics professor, offered data-driven insights on downtown economic revitalization, suggesting ways local governments can increase tax revenue and support businesses without overburdening taxpayers. Our faculty and staff continue to lead these critical conversations in local government, while also leading the same conversations with students in the classroom. A special thank you to panelists Noozhawk, Bill Macfadyen, Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce's Kristen Miller, and Ashley Swearengin for this necessary discussion. 📖 Read about the event: https://lnkd.in/gCehcrEp

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New analysis from SPP economist and The Wilson Center fellow Luisa Blanco and MPP student Isabella Elias looks at how the World Cup serves as a model of collaboration, mutual incentives, and long-term implications for international trade. "There is a possibility of North American cooperation through collective action on an excludable, non-rivalrous good (a club good), which can be adapted from the WC framework of cooperation." 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/gkAduygA

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