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While the broad bipartisan support for AUKUS and the Australia-US alliance are unlikely to change with the new Congress, budget constraints and priorities will likely shift in ways that present both new challenges and new opportunities for Australia. What will a Republican-controlled House of Representatives mean for US defence spending? Will the election results change the US approach to China? How and where can Australia work with the United States on the next steps for AUKUS? To discuss these issues, the USSC hosted an event with Louis Lauter, a former Legislative Affairs official with the US Department of Defense and Vice President of Beacon Global Strategies in conversation with United States Studies Centre CEO Dr Michael Green.

The United States Studies Centre launched its publication, US Midterms 2022: The stakes for Australia and the alliance at a special event in Canberra. USSC commissioned polling on public opinion in the United States, Australia and Japan on issues ranging from sentiment toward AUKUS and the stationing of US troops in allied nations to alignment on climate change and priorities for the next US Congress. This session of the conference looks forward and features Dr Michael Green, Chief Executive Officer of the United States Studies Centre; Jared Mondschein, Director of Research; and Victoria Cooper, Research Associate. USSC Chairman Mark Baillie wraps up the conference with some final insights.

This session features CNN and The Atlantic's Ron Brownstein in conversation with Jared Mondschein, Director of Research at the United States Studies Centre. The session is part of a half-day conference hosted by USSC to launch its publication, US Midterms 2022: The stakes for Australia and the alliance. USSC commissioned polling on public opinion in the United States, Australia and Japan on issues ranging from sentiment toward AUKUS and the stationing of US troops in allied nations to alignment on climate change and priorities for the next US Congress.

This session features New York Times journalist Jane Coaston in conversation with Dr Michael Green, CEO of the United States Studies Centre. The session is part of a half-day conference hosted by USSC to launch its publication, US Midterms 2022: The stakes for Australia and the alliance. USSC commissioned polling on public opinion in the United States, Australia and Japan on issues ranging from sentiment toward AUKUS and the stationing of US troops in allied nations to alignment on climate change and priorities for the next US Congress.

The United States Studies Centre launched its publication, US Midterms 2022: The stakes for Australia and the alliance at a special event in Canberra. USSC commissioned polling on public opinion in the United States, Australia and Japan on issues ranging from sentiment toward AUKUS and the stationing of US troops in allied nations to alignment on climate change and priorities for the next US Congress. This session of the conference includes an introduction by USSC CEO Dr Michael Green, a presentation on the major findings by Director of Research Jared Mondschein and Research Associate Victoria Cooper. The session concludes with a discussion on the national security implications for the alliance agenda featuring Professor Peter Dean, Director of Foreign Policy and Defence, Dr Miah Hammond-Errey, Director of Emerging Technology and Dr Peter Lee, Research Fellow, Foreign Policy and Defence.

Chinese President Xi Jinping secured his historic third term amidst a message of heightened urgency to “reunite” with Taiwan. US officials have come out saying a move to take Taiwan could happen by 2023, but Director of the German Marshall Fund’s Asia Program, Bonnie Glaser says this timeline is based on “sheer speculation.” Does the escalating war of words indicate an invasion is imminent? What are the variables that will influence Taiwan timelines going forward? What would a Taiwan invasion mean for the United States and Australia? To discuss these issues, the United States Studies Centre hosted a special event featuring Bonnie Glaser in conversation with USSC CEO Dr Michael Green.

After passing record levels of investment in infrastructure, research and science, and climate the United States is on a clear pathway to a clean energy transition. Such historic legislation coincides with United States Studies Centre polling indicating that significant majorities of Americans and Australians want to see their nations collaborate with each other on fighting climate change. Yet the midterm elections could see President Biden’s Democratic party lose one, if not both Houses of Congress, and experts expect minimal progress at this month’s international climate negotiations (COP27) in Egypt. What sort of collaboration on climate change can we expect from the United States and Australia for the next two years and beyond? Can the alliance pivot to work on climate policy that touches on industrial policy and economic development? Should Australia be as concerned about the recent US climate legislation as the Europeans are? To discuss these issues, USSC hosted an event featuring Meg McDonald, a former senior diplomat now a board member of the NSW Net Zero Emissions and Clean Economy Board, the Foreign Investment Review Board and Environment Commissioner, Greater Cities Commission and Lachlan Carey, a former Australian Treasury official and senior associate at the Colorado-based RMI, where he leads work on US regional economic development through clean energy investment for a conversation with USSC CEO Dr Michael Green.

If the rest of the 21st century will be defined by strategic competition, Professor Hal Brands posits the 2020s will be the most intense and definitive decade. As the US-China rivalry hits fever pitch, China’s aggression toward Taiwan, economic coercion and military escalation will only escalate during this critical period, which Brands and co-author Michael Beckley label the “Danger Zone.” What are their reasons for believing the 2020s will be the most intense decade? What near-term strategy should the United States and allies in the region adopt? What are the implications for US allies like Australia if they get it wrong? To discuss these issues, the United States Studies Centre hosted an event featuring Professor Hal Brands, author of Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China in conversation with USSC's Senior Lecturer in US Politics and Foreign Policy Dr Gorana Grgic.

US presidents are obsessed with sharks. From President Nixon asking the Secret Service to put in shark nets around his Florida holiday house to former President Trump tweeting that "sharks are last on my list." Sharks are an apex obsession. To explore the interactions between 10 presidents and the sharks they conserve or hate, the United States Studies Centre hosted a talk with University of Sydney Senior Lecturer in Public Policy Dr Christopher Pepin-Neff. Starting with Washington and ending with Trump, Dr Pepin-Neff discussed the role of sharks in building up myths and legends around presidents, the masculinity that comes with fighting sharks, and the statesmanship of protecting these fierce fish.

With the US midterm elections for the control of Congress fast approaching, voters in the state of Georgia face important and highly anticipated elections this November. Georgia voters will decide the marquee Senate race between the incumbent Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock and Trump-endorsed newcomer Republican Herschel Walker in a race that may well determine which party controls the Senate. At the same time, Georgia also has a major gubernatorial race, with Republican incumbent Governor Brian Kemp, who spurned Trump's efforts to overturn Joe Biden's victory in Georgia in November 2020, and Democratic superstar Stacey Abrams in the race. With important election integrity issues at stake, races such as these are more consequential than ever. To discuss these, the United States Studies Centre hosted a webinar featuring Alan Abramowitz, The Alben Barkley Emeritus Professor of Political Science at Emory University in Atlanta Georgia in conversation with USSC Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Bruce Wolpe and Research Associate, Victoria Cooper.

The United States Studies Centre hosted a special US midterms event featuring The New York Times' Jane Coaston, ABC's Political commentator Annabel Crabb, and USSC's CEO Dr Michael Green. The presumption of a red wave in the US November midterms elections has been tempered by setbacks on the Republican agenda and significant legislative victories for Democrats. But the winner of the US House and Senate elections impacts far more than US domestic politics. The US posture toward China, defence funding, trade agreements and more all hinge on the makeup of Congress. For Australia, the stakes have never been higher in a US midterms election. What US issues are the biggest concern for US and Australian voters? What is the state of play going into the midterms? What do the midterms tell us about what to expect in the 2024 US presidential election? To explore these topics, USSC commissioned polling on public opinion in the United States and Australia. This special event provided an opportunity to discuss the key findings from US Midterms 2022 with Jane Coaston, Annabel Crabb and Michael Green.

NATO’s Madrid Summit in June brought about the Alliance’s long-awaited new Strategic Concept which delivered an assessment of a much more adversarial international environment and set out a vision for at least the next decade. While the document makes it clear the 30 countries-strong alliance is attuned to the challenges from outside its core geographical and functional areas, it will be looking much closer to home for at least some time to come given the Russian Federation’s aggression in Ukraine and threats to NATO’s eastern flank. Yet, the fact the Indo-Pacific region received a mention for the very first time in NATO’s strategic communication, and Australia implicitly got called upon as a partner that will be crucial in enacting the Alliance’s strategic ambitions, should not be underestimated. To discuss the details of NATO’s 2022 Strategic Concept and its implications for Australia, the United States Studies Centre hosted a panel discussion with: Dr Benedetta Berti - Head of the Policy Planning Unit in the Office of the Secretary General, NATO; Ms Ciara Spencer - First Assistant Secretary, International Security Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Professor Stephan Frühling - Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National Universit; and Dr Gorana Grgic - Senior Lecturer in US Foreign Policy, United States Studies Centre. This project is sponsored by NATO.

The simple act of voting – who can vote, how easy it is to vote, who counts the votes, who certifies the votes, and whether the people accept the legitimacy of the outcome of an election – is at the heart of the crisis of confidence in democracy in the United States. After studying voting practices in dozens of countries, E.J. Dionne Jr. and Miles Rapoport found Australia to be one of the most compelling and effective voting systems in the world. What will it take to begin to apply lessons from Australia of Universal Civic Duty Voting to the American experience? Are such fundamental reforms even remotely feasible? To discuss these issues, the United States Studies Centre hosted a webinar featuring co-authors of the new book, 100% Democracy: The case for universal voting, E.J. Dionne Jr., Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and syndicated columnist for The Washington Post and Miles Rapoport, Senior Practice Fellow at the Ash Centre at Harvard Kennedy School in conversation with USSC Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Bruce Wolpe and Research Associate, Victoria Cooper.

A world-renowned Indo-Pacific expert, at this event, USSC CEO Dr Michael Green discussed his new book "Line of Advantage: Japan’s Grand Strategy in the Era of Abe Shinzō" with USSC Non-Resident Senior Fellow Dr Lavina Lee. Published in March this year, the book draws from Dr Green’s long-standing connection with former Prime Minister Abe Shinzō. It provides a unique political and historical context for Japan’s new grand strategy and our understanding of the role of US alliances in the Indo-Pacific. Opening remarks are provided by Vice Chancellor of the University of Sydney Mark Scott and closing remarks by USSC Chairman Mark Baillie.

Ira Shapiro's recent book, The Betrayal: How Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans Abandoned America, chronicles the US Senate during the Trump presidency. As a veteran scholar and former Senate staffer with bipartisan experience, Shapiro determines that the Senate and its Republican members, led by Mitch McConnell (R-KY), ultimately abandoned late Senator John McCain's (R-AZ) guiding principle 'Country first'. Can the Senate recover its purpose and help resolve legislation to address America's fundamental challenges? What does the future hold for Mitch McConnell, arguably the most powerful Republican Senate leader ever, in the context of the upcoming midterm elections in November? What do the US midterms mean for Australia? To discuss these issues, the United States Studies Centre hosted a webinar featuring Ira Shapiro and Bill Kristol, editor-at-large of The Bulwark, Director of Defending Democracy Together, former chief of staff to Vice President Dan Quayle and one of the most incisive Republican intellectuals and commentators, in conversation with USSC CEO Dr Mike Green and Non-Resident Senior Fellow Bruce Wolpe.

The January 6 Select Committee hearings highlight points of crisis in American democracy, yet the roots of these challenges undeniably precede the Capitol riots given US economic, social and cultural trends. Princeton University professor and political scientist Stephen Macedo's authoritative work on immigration, liberalism, populism, and democratic theory explores such trends. What are the most important economic, social, and cultural trends fueling these tensions in US democracy? What can be done to strengthen and improve American democracy? What are the implications for Australia? To discuss these issues, the USSC hosted an event featuring Princeton University's Laurence S. Rockefeller Professor of Politics, Stephen Macedo in conversation with USSC Director of Research, Jared Mondschein and Director of Engagement and Impact, Mari Koeck. Professor Stephen Macedo is a Visiting Professor at the Sydney Social Sciences and Humanities Advanced Research Centre (SSSHARC).

In an age dominated by terms like fake news and disinformation, what are the facts about the history of the United States? In the updated edition of A Documentary History of the United States, Alexander Heffner revisits primary sources to tell the unvarnished history of the United States – compiling the key documents, speeches, letters, tweets and Supreme Court decisions from the Declaration of Independence to Articles of Impeachment against Donald J. Trump following the January 6 insurrection. What do we learn from examining these primary sources? Which documents are critical to understanding the pandemic and its impact on the United States? What significance do these primary source documents have for Australia? To discuss these issues, USSC hosted a webinar event featuring co-author and host of The Open Mind on PBS Alexander Heffner.

As a daughter of a cherished US president, scion of a political dynasty, globally-renowned philanthropist and accomplished former ambassador to Japan, Australia has arguably never had a higher profile US ambassador than it soon will with Caroline Kennedy. What is the history of the relationship between President Biden and Caroline Kennedy? What can we expect of her approach to contentious issues like US trade policy and climate change? How will her approach to China and the Indo-Pacific region compare with when she was ambassador to Japan? The United States Studies Centre hosted a webinar discussion on the newly confirmed US Ambassador to Australia featuring incoming USSC CEO Dr Mike Green, Non-Resident Senior Fellows Stephen Loosley AM and Bruce Wolpe and Research Associate Victoria Cooper.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February altered the European security architecture for generations to come. One clear piece of evidence of this: Finland and Sweden announcing they will be formally applying for membership in the NATO alliance – ending their decades-long neutrality and elevating their NATO engagement from Enhanced Opportunity Partners, alongside Australia, to fully fledged members. With Finland’s membership in NATO more than doubling the length of the alliance’s borders with Russia, how does this change NATO’s relationship with Russia? Given the significant military resources consumed in Ukraine, are NATO allies decreasing their focus or resourcing in the Indo-Pacific? How has Australia’s engagement with NATO changed since 24 February? To discuss these issues, the United States Studies Centre hosted a webinar discussion with USSC Senior Lecturer in US Politics and Foreign Policy Dr Gorana Grgic in conversation with incoming USSC CEO Dr Mike Green.

As we approach the November midterm elections, Joe Biden's presidency, the control of Congress and the future course of America's democracy are all at a crossroads. What is the outlook for both parties in the midterms, and what is at stake for President Biden and the balance of his first ​term? What are the prospects for a Republican-controlled Congress and what will be their agenda? What could all this mean for the 2024 presidential and congressional elections? What should Australians look for as the United States votes? To discuss these issues, the United States Studies Centre hosted a webinar featuring Dr Larry Sabato, one of America's most distinguished political scientists and founder and director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics in conversation with USSC's Non-Resident Senior Fellow Bruce Wolpe and Research Associate Victoria Cooper.