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Newsroom FeedNewsroom
Has Obama changed the world in 18 months?
31 May 2010
The Drum Unleashed (ABC online)
Brendon O'Connor, Associate Professor of American Politics at the US Studies Centre, considers what impact the Obama presidency has had on world opinion of America. He says enthusiasm across Western Europe and in Australia for Obama’s election in 2008 revealed how keen many Westerners are to see America as a positive force in the world and is suggestive of the Western tendency to buy into exceptionalist views about America. Read article
Great power, great responsibility
31 May 2010
South China Morning Post
Shen Dingli, Director of the Centre for American Studies at Fudan University (Shanghai), says that for better or for worse, China is becoming a crucial actor in world affairs and that the international community is expecting it to shoulder a greater share of responsibility, one that is commensurate with its growing power and clout. This article is an extract from Dingli's essay in American Review, published by the US Studies Centre. Read article
Obama visit still on for June
29 May 2010
Sydney Morning Herald
Despite the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster, US President Barack Obama is still likely to make the trip to Australia and Indonesia according to Professor Geoffrey Garrett, who is interviewed in this report. Read article
Notes on America: Race in America, Race in Australia and the Asian launch of American Review's second edition
28 May 2010
In this edition:
- Race in America, Race in Australia
- American Review heads East
- Events and commentary Read more
What next for the US and Europe?
28 May 2010
Leading US economic forecaster Gail Fosler answers questions about US financial reform, the economic outlook for the US economy as well as what is likely to happen to the economies of Europe in the near future. Watch Online
Justice and the US Supreme Court
28 May 2010
In this interview Harvard Law School's Professor Mark Tushnet discusses the significance of President Obama's nomination of Elena Kegan to the US Supreme Court. Additionally, he considers whether Arizona's new immigration statute is indicative of the future for immigration law, and provides criticism of judicial review in the US. Watch Online
Leadership lends the dazzle to US dollar
27 May 2010
The Sydney Morning Herald
Geoffrey Garrett says the flight back to the US dollar as the preferred port in the latest global storm is recognition that, warts and all, the US is still the world's leading economy and will be so for the foreseeable future. Professor Garrett is chief executive of the US Studies Centre. Read article
Notes on America: Judicial review, the euro & the US, and 'Most Dangerous Man in America'
21 May 2010
In this edition:
- Judicial review and SCOTUS activism on the wane
- US reflections on euro disintegration: Gail Fosler
- Woman behind ‘Most Dangerous Man’ attends Sydney Film Festival
- Events and commentary Read more
Coastal protection
21 May 2010
ABC News Radio
In the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, protecting coastlines is once again a major topic for governments in the US and around the world. Ed Blakely, Honorary Professor of Urban Policy at the US Studies Centre, discusses the validity of governments imposing special protection levies on coastal poulations. Listen Online
US economy faces turbulent times
21 May 2010
Sky Business On The Record
There are many questions currently circulating about the role of regulation in preventing future financial crashes, the effectiveness of US financial legislation as well as where are the US and European economies headed as 2010 progresses. In this interview, US Studies Centre Visitor and economic forecaster Gail Fosler seeks to answer these big questions. Watch Online
Dealing with traffic congestion
20 May 2010
Sunrise
With traffic congestion becoming more pronounced as cities around the world grow, Ed Blakely, Honorary Professor of Urban Policy at the US Studies Centre, discusses simple steps that can be taken to ease the problem. Watch Online
US economy and the Eurozone
20 May 2010
ABC2 News Breakfast
The current state of the US and European economies are the focus of this interview with leading economic forecaster Gail Fosler, which also touches on Australia's ability to handle the turbulent global economy. Gail Fosler is in Australia as a Visitor of the US Studies Centre. Watch Online
Global economy in recovery
20 May 2010
ABC News Radio
In this interview leading American economic forecaster Gail Fosler says that today's sovereign debt issues in Europe should be seen in perspective, arguing that the global economy has been through larger problems than Greece in recent years. Gail Fosler is in Australia as a Visitor of the US Studies Centre. Listen Online
Western slant on China skews shape of things to come
19 May 2010
Sydney Morning Herald
Kishore Mahbubani, Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, says that we have to drop our Western cultural lenses to understand the new era the world is entering with the rise of China and India. This article is an extract from Mahbubani's essay in American Review, published by the US Studies Centre. Read article
Europe's financial woes now affecting stock markets in Asia
19 May 2010
Radio Australia Asia Pacific
A dramatic move by German regulators to curb financial speculation has sent shockwaves well beyond Europe's shores. Traders will be banned from naked short selling - that is selling stocks and bonds they don't own, in effect speculating on companies or countries going broke. In this report American economic forecaster Gail Fosler, Visitor of the US Studies Centre, is interviewed for expert analysis. Listen online or read transcript
Reform push
18 May 2010
Australia Network Business Today
Whitney Fitzsimmons speaks to Gail Fosler, senior advisor of the Conference Board in the US, about President Obama's financial reform agenda. Gail Fosler is in Australia as a Visitor of the US Studies Centre. Watch Online
Angst attacks gift-wrapped in cycles of doom
18 May 2010
The Australian
Josef Joffe, editor of German nationwide newspaper Die Zeit, considers the ever-present predictions of doom and gloom for the United States, and whether any of them have validity as we peer into the future. This article is an extract from Joffe's essay in American Review, published by the US Studies Centre. Read article
US Supreme Court, the Constitution and the White House
17 May 2010
ABC Radio National Late Night Live
Mark Tushnet is often referred to as being unorthodox in his approach to constitutional law. He is a great advocate for more civil discussions and has strong opinions on who should sit on the Supreme Court. Professor Tushnet is in Australia as a Visitor of the US Studies Centre. Listen online
European finance set for 'big structural change'
17 May 2010
Lateline Business
As the Eurozone finance ministers meet once again, American economist Gail Fosler gives her take on whether Europe can convince the markets that its rescue plan will work. Gail Fosler is in Australia as a Visitor of the US Studies Centre. Watch online or read transcript
Notes on America: New postdoctoral fellows, US economic challenges and Harlem’s numbers game
14 May 2010
In this edition:
- 2010 Postdoctoral fellowship winners announced
- Financial and political challenges ahead for US
- Playing the Numbers: Harlem’s gambling history
- Events and commentary Read More
Obama nomination a sure bet for US Supreme Court
14 May 2010
The Australian
Legal expert David Weisbrot says that US Supreme Court nominee Elena Kegan is identifiably a Democrat and previously served in the Clinton administration, but has a record of centrist politics, carefully building coalitions and consensus, rather than using the numbers to ram home progressive policies. David Weisbrot is an honorary professor in legal policy at the US Studies Centre. Read article
US Studies Centre awards 2010/2011 post-doctoral fellowships
13 May 2010
The United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney is pleased to announce the awarding of the 2010/2011 post-doctoral fellowships, bringing six emerging academic leaders in the social sciences and humanities to the Centre for a year of researching and writing about the US.
In the course of their fellowships – valued at more than $100,000 each – the scholars will work on projects across a diverse range of expertise: from the “genetics of politics” exploring the biological bases of political behaviour to “petro-fiction” about literary portrayals of the oil and gas industry. Read more
Play nice, hard or not at all: the US foreign policy flip-flop
12 May 2010
The Sydney Morning Herald
That a gap exists between the ideals of US foreign policy and the messy realities of American involvement in the world is obvious to anyone who has studied history or, for that matter, ever watched the news. But the forces that create it are more interesting than most people assume and more fundamental than in many other countries, writes chair in US Media at the US Studies Centre James Fallows. Read article
Third woman tipped for US Supreme Court
11 May 2010
2SER The Wire
US President Barack Obama has sent shockwaves through Capitol Hill by nominating his chief legal advocate to the top judicial job. Solicitor General Elena Kagan is tipped to join the Supreme Court, becoming only the fourth woman in its 220 year history to do so. But critics argue, without judicial experience, Kagan’s appointment could be a backward step for women in the law. Featured in story is Professor David Weisbrot, honorary professor in legal policy at the US Studies Centre.
Listen Online
Criticism for Obama's Supreme Court choice
11 May 2010
ABC Radio PM with Mark Colvin
The United States will have a new Supreme Court justice later this year and the President Barack Obama is proposing former academic and Solicitor General Elena Kagan for the bench. The nomination is receiving a mixed response with some criticism from both the left and the right for the legal expert who's never served as a judge. This interview with David Weisbrot, honorary professor in legal policy at the US Studies Centre, provides context about the nomination and the likely reaction to it. Listen Online
How to deal with major disasters
11 May 2010
Radio Australia Connect Asia
The oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico is the third major disaster in the Gulf and Caribbean, after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the earthquake in Haiti. Edward Blakely, one of the world's leading experts in disaster management, says the national and international responses to these three disasters has been slow, shallow and lacking the proper people and equipment to do the job. Edward Blakely is an honorary professor in Urban Policy at the US Studies Centre. Listen Online
President nominates Solicitor General to US Supreme Court
10 May 2010
ABC News Radio
US Solicitor General Elena Kegan has been nominated for the US Supreme Court by President Obama to replace outgoing judge John Paul Stevens. This interview with David Weisbrot, honorary professor in legal policy at the US Studies Centre, considers Elena Kegan's professional experience and the politics surrounding Supreme Court appointments. Listen Online
Who is Kevin Rudd? No one really knows
10 May 2010
The Age
At the height of the 1956 US presidential election, Adlai Stevenson said of Richard Nixon: ''This is a man of many masks. Who can say they have seen his real face?'' Tom Switzer, research associate at the US Studies Centre, asks if the same thing could be said about Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Read article
Hijacking the American and Australian dream
6 May 2010
National Times
Former Clinton administration Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Henry Cisneros, says that while there is a need to regulate mortgage markets, this should not become a move towards curtailing the intended goals of mortgages — home ownership. Read more
Notes on America: Facing up to China, US touch for Biennale of Sydney and rave reviews
6 May 2010
In this edition:
- Facing up to China: American Review out now
- US art & culture on display at Biennale of Sydney
- Americans through the Australian lens
- Events and commentary Read More
Gambling days in Harlem
6 May 2010
Wall Street Journal
In Chicago they were known as the policy racket. In New York, they were called the numbers game. The history of small lotteries that thrived in poor American neighbourhoods in the 1920s and '30s is a picturesque melange of race and class, business acumen and organized crime. US Studies Centre affiliates Shane White, Stephen Garton and Stephen Robertson are co-authors with Graham White of Playing The Numbers, a book that details what life was like in Harlem between the world wars. Read book review
Peril, promise and a watery future for coastal cities
5 May 2010
citiwire.net
Even with aggressive action on climate change, scientists agree that a global temperature rise of some kind is inevitable, triggering sea level rise, more intense storms, and an array of other chain-reaction disruptions to life as we know it. In this article former recovery director for New Orleans Edward Blakely is interviewed, and he says there is no more urgent role for planners in years ahead than to plan and help implement adaptation to climate change. Edward Blakely is an Honorary Professor in Urban Policy at the US Studies Centre. Read article
Three strikes for disasters response
4 May 2010
National Times
Disaster recovery expert Edward Blakely says after three major disasters in the Gulf-Caribbean, New Orleans, Haiti and now the Gulf oil spill, we have to pronounce the responses as strike outs. These responses were too slow, too shallow and lacking the proper people or equipment to do the job. Edward Blakely is an Honorary Professor in Urban Policy at the US Studies Centre. Read article
Why the clash of civilisations is wrong
3 May 2010
ABC Big Ideas
"Clash of civilizations" theory argues that history is driven by distinct international forces, like Islam and the west, competing for supremacy. This seemed to be illustrated by the events of 9/11. However, delivering this lecture at the University of Sydney, world-renowned political scientist Peter Katzenstein argued that the view that civilizations comprise of homogenous racial and religious groups is simplistic and untrue. Peter Katzenstein was in Australia as a Visitor to the US Studies Centre. watch or listen online
