Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist David Sanger was one of the few journalists selected to ask President Biden a question in his press conference following the NATO Summit in Washington DC and has reported on Washington during the last seven US presidential administrations. His latest book, New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasi…

This year, India held the largest democratic exercise in the world as 643 million people voted in their election. Prime Minister Narendra Modi won his third election, however, his party, the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), could not secure a majority in the Parliament, leading to the formation of a coalition government. The opposition secured enough …

Within a week of President Biden announcing he is ending his candidacy for a second term, Vice President Kamala Harris secured scores of endorsements, set fundraising records and secured enough delegates to become the presumptive nominee. How would a Harris administration be different from the Biden administration? Who’s on Harris’ VP short list? D…

Former president Donald Trump narrowly avoided death when a bullet grazed his ear at a campaign rally on 13 July. The images of him rising, holding his fist high and chanting “Fight!” while blood streamed down his face instantly became iconic. Donald Trump has been called a ‘strongman’ throughout his political career, how does this assassination at…

Last week, NATO leaders gathered in Washington DC for their annual summit, this year celebrating the 75th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. However, much of Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s final summit was overshadowed by scrutiny of President Biden and then quickly followed by the assassination attempt on former president…

The US Supreme Court handed down their ruling in former president Trump’s immunity case and it granted far broader immunity than most experts anticipated. Why was the ruling so expansive? What does this mean for Trump’s criminal trials? How will this change the presidency going forward? To discuss these issues, we welcomed Chas Licciardello from AB…

President Biden’s approval rating is at an all-time low and the number of “double haters” who want neither candidate is at an all-time high. The US system is driving the selection of candidates further and further away from the mainstream. Campaign financing contributes to this. How did Trump and Biden become their party’s nominee with so little pu…

Joe Biden and Donald Trump’s debate in Atlanta was always going to be one for the history books. Never before had a general election debate occurred before the party conventions officially named them as their presidential nominees. But following a debate performance that even President Biden conceded was not his best, the most historical aspect of …

As American politics has become increasingly polarised, experts and analysts have explored avenues for electoral reform to shift voting to be more representative. One solution is ranked-choice voting (RCV), which is standard in Australia, but only appears in a fraction of jurisdictions in the United States. Why is ranked-choice voting so rare in th…

On 17 June 2021, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, making the day a federal public holiday. What did this new holiday celebrate? What role does Juneteenth play in American history? How is it different from Martin Luther King Jr Day? To discuss these questions Senior Lecturer in American Studies at the United State…

The war in Ukraine was a wake-up call for nations around the world as they saw how quickly one crisis could consume the national supply of certain munitions. The Australian Government addressed this in both its 2023 Defence Strategic Review and 2024 National Defence Strategy through the prioritisation of the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (G…

In November, Americans will head to the polls to cast their vote for who will hold the most powerful office in the world – Joe Biden or Donald Trump. But it isn’t only Americans who are impacted. What would a Trump administration vs Biden administration 2.0 mean for allies and partners around the world? What will stay the same regardless of who win…

On 20 May 2023, on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders’ Summit, President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a third pillar of the Australia-US alliance: the climate, critical minerals and clean energy transformation compact. What does this compact involve? How much progress has been made in the past year? What will happen to thi…

Economic security is on the minds of leaders everywhere. From trade barriers to industrial policy to crackdowns on foreign investments, growing strategic competition is shaping the global economy. What is economic security? What are the trade-offs involved? And how can Australia adapt to this changing world? Director of Economic Security Hayley Cha…

In January, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that there is no presidential immunity that would shield former president Trump from prosecution in the case against him regarding his actions to overturn the results of the 2020 election. But the US Supreme Court said they would take up the question, hearing the oral arguments on their last day of …

In honour of International Jazz Day, we’re releasing a special episode of the USSC Briefing Room with the Founder and Director of The Jazz and Democracy Project® (J&D) Dr Wesley Watkins. His program integrates jazz into the study of US history, government, civics and culture, specifically, but also into the humanities more broadly, making J&D a cap…

When a delegation from the United States Studies Centre (USSC) travelled to Washington DC in 2023, AUKUS came up in every conversation and Australia eagerly awaited a visit from President Biden to Australia that didn’t eventuate. Now we are discussing potentially expanding AUKUS to include Japan and significant legislative reforms are making US-Aus…

The rules-based order is under stress in the Indo-Pacific and, according to the latest report from Freedom House, democracy has declined for an 18th consecutive year globally. Both Japan and Australia have strong commitments to development assistance in the region, but a new report from the United States Studies Centre (USSC) argues that this is no…

With the two oldest presidential presumptive nominees in US history, the stakes for the vice presidential selection have never been higher. In 2016 Mike Pence helped deliver the evangelical vote for Trump, but he seems to be going a different direction in 2024. All eyes are on who he will ultimately choose. Will Trump look for a VP to help win swin…

One year ago, Anthony Albanese, Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden gathered at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego to share the ‘optimal pathway’ for Australia to acquire the nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS agreement. This critical step laid out the timeline, the type of submarines that would be acquired and the price tag of $268-$368b for AUKUS P…

This is the third in a series of three episodes this week recorded following USSC’s Indo-Pacific Strategy Simulation in November 2023. In these recordings, leading regional experts sit down with our own resident scholars to discuss Indo-Pacific security issues, trilateral cooperation between Australia, Japan and the United States, and the finer poi…

This is the second in a series of three episodes this week recorded following USSC’s Indo-Pacific Strategy Simulation in November 2023. In these recordings, leading regional experts sit down with our own resident scholars to discuss Indo-Pacific security issues, trilateral cooperation between Australia, Japan and the United States, and the finer po…

This week on the podcast, we’re bringing you the first three episodes in a series recorded following USSC’s Indo-Pacific Strategy Simulation in November 2023. In these recordings, leading regional experts sit down with our own resident scholars to discuss Indo-Pacific security issues, trilateral cooperation between Australia, Japan and the United S…

After a year of travel, conferences and meetings in the four Quad countries — Australia, India, Japan and the United States — four think tank experts from across the Indo-Pacific enter the USSC Briefing Room to discuss Quad cooperation. What is the Quad trying to achieve? What is and isn’t working well and how can the four countries more closely an…

Last week, the special counsel Robert Hur released his report with findings of his investigation into President Biden’s handling of classified documents after he left the office of vice president. While a legal vindication in that he will not be charged, it has poured petrol on the fire that is discussion on Biden’s age and whether he’s up for a se…

Last month, world leaders gathered in Dubai for the UN Climate Change Conference – COP 28. The loss and damage agreement supporting nations impacted by climate change made headlines, but the walk back of language around fossil fuels was viewed by many as a step backwards. Was COP28 a net positive or negative? How relevant is COP anymore? Where shou…

The first contest of the 2024 US presidential election kicked off in Iowa this week. Dedicated Republicans turned out and voiced support for Donald Trump, delivering him the majority of votes with a 30-point margin over his competition. Ron DeSantis barely beat out Nikki Hayley for the number two spot, but Hayley was the only candidate to win a pre…

Looking for something to read? In our ‘Book Talk’ series, our experts discuss their book projects and why you should read them. In this episode, Associate Professor David Smith talks through his research on religious persecution in the United States, the role of religion in politics, and ideas of political order, social cohesion and American identi…

Are you wondering what to read over the holiday period? In our ‘Book Talk’ series, our experts discuss their latest book projects and why you should read them. In this episode, USSC CEO Dr Michael J. Green sheds light on the evolution of Japan’s grand strategy. How is Abe’s strategic approach to the Indo-Pacific reflected in Japan, Australia and th…

Taiwan does not have formal diplomatic relations with Australia and the United States, but they do have diplomatic representatives in both countries and formal or informal ties all over the world. Taiwan’s representative to Australia Douglas Hsu sat down with Research Director Jared Mondschein to discuss the state of play in Taiwan on the precipice…

Since the US withdrawal from TPP in 2017, Australia has remained keen to see the United States re-engage Asia on trade. The Biden administration launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) in May of 2022 to balance economic engagement in the region with a “foreign policy for the middle class” approach that prioritised increasing labor and e…

This is the final episode in a series of four panel discussions recorded from the United States Studies Centre’s inaugural Sydney International Strategy Forum. This episode is the “AUKUS, the Quad and the future of alliances and partnerships” panel featuring: Prof. Peter Dean – Director of Foreign Policy and Defence, United States Studies Centre Za…

This is the third in a series of four panel discussions recorded from the United States Studies Centre’s inaugural Sydney International Strategy Forum. This episode is the “Navigating de-risking, disruption and emerging technology” panel featuring: Michaela Browning, Vice President Government and Public Policy for Asia Pacific – Google Dr John Kunk…

This is the second in a series of four panel discussions recorded from the United States Studies Centre’s inaugural Sydney International Strategy Forum. This episode is the “US politics at the crossroads” panel featuring: § Ryan Lizza, Chief Washington Correspondent – Politico § Olivia Nuzzi, Washington Correspondent – New York Magazine § Associate…

This week on the podcast, we’re bringing you a special series of recordings from the United States Studies Centre’s inaugural Sydney International Strategy Forum. These will each share one of the four panel discussions from the day. This episode is the “How far will US-China confrontation go?” panel featuring: Michele Flournoy – Co-Founder of West …

We are one year out from the 2024 US presidential election. If we ignore the actuarial possibilities or something that completely derails the polling reports we’re seeing, it will be a 2020 repeat of Trump v. Biden. But what are they like behind the scenes? Do their public personas match their private personas? How does this impact their 2024 campa…

This week, co-hosts Director of Research Jared Mondschein and Research Editor Victoria Cooper discuss their latest polling report, One year from the 2024 US presidential election: The stakes for Australia and the alliance which surveyed respondents in Australia, the United States and Japan. It covers all the issues most relevant to the Australia-US…

This month has been incredibly tumultuous in US politics. We had the historic ousting of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, courtroom drama in the cases against former president Trump and war breaking out in Israel. Republican disunity appears to be near breaking point. To help make sense of the fast-moving dynamics, Associate Professor in American Poli…

Next week, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is heading to the United States for an official visit with President Biden, including a state dinner. Two USSC experts have staffed state visits before, one on the US side and one on the Australian side – CEO Dr Michael Green and Senior Economic Adviser Dr John Kunkel. Their inside perspectives …

AUKUS Pillar II is focused on accelerating advanced capabilities, but innovation in technology is dominated by tech companies and financed through private finance. In order advance this technology for defence new funding sources, collaboration and mindset shifts across government and industry is essential. Over 2023 USSC Director of Economic Securi…

In this special episode, we share a recording of the panel discussion at the launch event for USSC’s new Women in the Alliance initiative. It featured Aurora Education Foundation CEO and American Australian Association Ltd in Australia Chair Leila Smith, Representative for Lindsay Melissa McIntosh MP and ABC journalist and broadcaster Geraldine Doo…

USSC CEO Dr Michael Green was working for the White House National Security Council during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. He describes the chaos of the evacuation and the significant changes for US alliances with Australia and others across the globe in the wake of the attack. What was the atmosphere in the White House when they heard…

The Foreign Policy and Defence team co-host the deterrence dialogue with the Pacific Forum. This year was the first year back in DC since COVID. Defence representatives from both the United States and Australia were there and Ambassador Kevin Rudd presented a keynote address. What are the areas of alignment and difference between the US and Austral…

As the US 2024 GOP presidential hopefuls prepare for the first debate, USSC Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy David Smith and Research Editor Victoria Cooper spoke with Research Director Jared Mondschein to give a breakdown on the candidates and the odds of anyone besting former president Trump. What happened to Ron DeSant…

With the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) and the joint Talisman Sabre exercise between Australian and US defence forces now officially wrapped up, USSC Director of Foreign Policy and Defence Professor Peter Dean and Research Fellow in the program Blake Herzinger give a deep-dive on all the latest developments in the maritime securit…

United States Studies Centre Senior Lecturer in US Politics and Foreign Policy Dr Gorana Grgic attended the NATO Vilnius Summit at the end of her sabbatical in Europe. At the summit this year, Ukraine was once again the main focus. Will Ukraine be given a timeline to enter NATO and what conditions do they need to meet? What is NATO going to do abou…

After decades of unprecedented growth the Chinese economy slowed due to COVID-19 and the easing restrictions did not bring the anticipated economic boom. USSC Visiting Fellow and former White House staffer Dan Rosen speaks with Research Director Jared Mondschein about the stagnating growth of China’s economy and implications for the region. Did Chi…

USSC Honorary Associate Dr Harry Melkonian breaks down the recent major US Supreme Court decisions from affirmative action to dismantling President Biden’s student loan forgiveness program. While most cases may not seem as significant as when the court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, the repercussions of this year's decisions will still have a last…

USSC Non-Resident Senior Research Fellow Bruce Wolpe released his latest book, Trump’s Australia: How Trumpism changed Australia and the shocking consequences of a second term the week after former President Trump was officially indicted on federal charges. In this episode, Bruce and USSC Research Editor Victoria Cooper, who worked as a research as…

Are we in a Cold War and are there parallels from President Reagan’s term to now? On this episode of the USSC Briefing Room, we were joined by Dr William Inboden, Executive Director and William Powers Jr Chair at the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas-Austin and author of The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan, the Cold War and…