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Newsroom FeedNewsroom
Obama, attitudes toward race and the Tea Party movement
30 June 2010
In this interview Harvard University's Professor of African American Studies, Jennifer Hochschild, considers the impact that the Obama presidency is having on racial attitudes in America. As part of this discussion, she notes that the impact of geography on attitudes towards race is not talked about as much as it should be. Turning to the controversy surrounding the Tea Party movement, Professor Hochschild argues it is very difficult to tease out racial hostility as an independent factor motivating their cause. Watch Online
Tuning discordant voices: a challenge for US, EU in Canada
28 June 2010
Xinhua News Global Edition
As the United States and European Union bring different proposals to the decisive G20 summit in Toronto, how to tune their discordant voices becomes a challenge, not only for the two, but also for the global economy. Featured in this report is analysis by Professor Geoffrey Garrett, chief executive of the US Studies Centre.
Read article
The whistleblower
26 June 2010
The Australian
Nominated for an Academy Award, The Most Dangerous Man In America tells the story of Daniel Ellsberg, the former war planner who leaked damaging confidential information about the genesis and planning for the Vietnam war. Featured in this article about the film is an interview with its director, Judith Ehrlich who was in Australia recently as a visitor of the US Studies Centre. Read article
US jobs in short supply
25 June 2010
Princeton University's Henry Farber is a leading expert on US labour market issues. In this interview Professor Farber compares the magnitude of the current recession with previous downturns, considers how difficult it is for the unemployed to find work as well as discussing the long term trend of decreasing job security for workers. Farber also assesses the Obama administration's handling of labour market issues and whether unemployment will be a major issue in the November mid term elections. Watch Online
Gillard unlikely to woo poll-winning battlers
25 June 2010
The Age
In 1996, Howard wooed the battlers by lifting their aspirations, just as Rudd did in 2007. Tom Switzer says it is unlikely that Gillard can do likewise. Tom Switzer is a research associate at the US Studies Centre. Read article
Notes on America: US Free Trade, Latinization, and fieldwork
24 June 2010
In this edition:
- US Free Trade push stalled
- Untracking US Latinization: History and perception
- Field experiments for politics, economics and public policy
- News and commentary Read More
Whistleblower portrait doesn't dodge the dark side
24 June 2010
Sydney Morning Herald
Film Review: The Most Dangerous Man In America is a documentary about Daniel Ellsberg, a US government official privy to a top-secret official report detailing the unpalatable history of America's involvement with Vietnam, all the way back to the Truman administration's sponsorship of the French invasion in 1945. Co-director of the film, Judith Ehrlich, was recently in Australia as a visitor of the US Studies Centre to promote the work at the Sydney Film Festival. Read article
Trade issues arising from China, Iran and the Gulf oil spill
23 June 2010
Jeffrey Schott is a senior fellow at the highly influential Peterson Institute for International Economics and is an expert international trade policy and economic sanctions. In this interview he discusses the importance of the Asia-Pacific region to the US economy and the way forward for US-China economic relations. Mr Schott, who regularly briefs White House figures on economic and trade issues, also discusses the effectiveness of recent UN trade sanctions against Iran as well as the impact of the Gulf oil spill on the White House's attention to trade issues. Watch Online
Margaret Levi participates in the World Democracy Forum
21 June 2010
Chair in US Politics at the US Studies Centre Margaret Levi gave the valedictory address, "The Past as a Source of Political Power in the Present", at the India Institute of Advanced Study's International Conference on "History and Memory" in Shimla, India in late May. She also participated in the World Democracy Forum in Washington, DC, and gave a talk at the World Bank on her work on leadership, co-authored with John Ahlquist.
In June Levi gave a talk, "The Virtuous Circle of Citizen Trust of a Trustworthy Government", at a festschrift honoring Jose Maria Maravall and hosted by the Center for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences at the Juan March Foundation, Madrid.
Impact of climate action on trade
18 June 2010
Radio Australia Connect Asia
Jeffrey Schott, an expert on global trade from the Washington DC's Peterson Institute for International Economics, talks about the trade implications of climate action which includes the danger of 'protectionism under the guise of environmental objectives'. Listen Online
Unpredictable times for politicians and the media
18 June 2010
Sky Business On The Record
In this interview Professor of Public Affairs from Columbia University, Kenneth Prewitt, provides an analysis of President Obama’s handling of the Gulf oil disaster as well as what the President has achieved during his first 18 months in office. In this wide-ranging interview Prewitt also covers questions about campaign finance and the changing composition of the media industry. Watch Online
Notes on America: Prison as policy, oil & Hong Kong launch
18 June 2010
In this edition:
- Prisons as social policy tool
- Oil spill increases pressure on Obama presidency
- US-China forum launches American Review in Hong Kong
- Events and commentary Read More
Obama handles oil spill like financial crisis
17 June 2010
Sky News
The approach of blaming the greedy capitalists and lax legislation of previous White House administrations was an approach that US President Barack Obama used in response to the global financial crisis, and now he is using it again with the BP oil spill, says Professor Geoffrey Garrett. The US Studies Centre chief executive also says that the spill is appropriately being compared with other major US crises of the past decade, something that the President himself indicated by addressing the American people for the first time from the Oval Office this week. Watch Online
Gulf oil spill and the Obama presidency
17 June 2010
Such is the importance of the oil leak resulting from the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon that US President Barack Obama gave his first public address from the Oval Office this week. Kenneth Prewitt, Carnegie Professor of Public Affairs at Columbia University, discusses in this interview the impact of the oil spill on the Obama presidency and argues that there are a variety of other issues that need his attention ahead of November's congressional elections. Watch Online
Glenn Loury on racial inequality in the US
17 June 2010
Despite the successes of the civil rights movement and the election of Barack Obama as America's first black President, leading US public intellectual from Brown University, Glenn Loury, says that racial inequalities persist and show no signs of going away anytime soon. In this interview Professor Loury explains the long term effects of unemployment amongst low educated African Americans and other minorities, and argues for geographically targeted measures to address the problems in poor communities in many of America's large cities. Watch Online
Gulf oil spill presses President
16 June 2010
ABC News Radio
US President Barack Obama gave his first address from the Oval Office about his government's response to the Gulf oil spill, saying BP will be made to pay for the clean up. In this interview Brendon O'Connor discusses the political implications of the disaster on the Obama presidency. Brendon O'Connor is an Associate Professor in American Politics at the US Studies Centre. Listen Online
A time of transition for superpowers
16 June 2010
The Australian
Michael Schuman, Asia business correspondent for Time Magazine, says the course of the coming decades will be determined not by China's rise alone, but by the relationship that emerges between a rising China and the US. This article is an extract from Schuman's essay in American Review, published by the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Read article
Sydney, our economic capital, needs a re-think
16 June 2010
The National Times
Edward Blakely, Honorary Professor in Urban Policy at the US Studies Centre, warns that Sydney is in danger of becoming Australia's Philadephia, which was booming 100 years ago but is now a maligned American city. Blakely says Sydney will lose its status as a global city if it does not take seriously a report released today that shows it last among Australian cities on nearly every dimension from coherence in plans to delivery of key infrastructure for the region. Read article
The battle to lure cream of the crop
15 June 2010
Adelaide Advertiser
Until recently Australian universities have been successful in attracting international students, however they face increased competition from public institutions in the US, warns Sean Gallagher, chief operating officer of the US Studies Centre. Dr Gallagher, who was in the US recently to research this and other trends in international higher education, says the global reputation of places such as the University of California means Australian universities need to re-think what it seeks to offer students coming from abroad. Read article
Social inequality holds back economies and societies
13 June 2010
Sky Sunday Agenda
Leading US social economist from Brown University, Glenn Loury, discusses in this interview the reasons why social inequality persists in America, citing a lack of both will and knowledge of how to deal with the problem. Professor Loury also examines in what ways inequality holds back economies as well as societies. Glenn Loury is in Australia as a visitor of the US Studies Centre. Watch Online
Long road to adulthood is growing even longer
11 June 2010
The New York Times
Social scientists say young adulthood has undergone a profound shift in recent times and independence no longer begins at 21. This article refers to research conducted by US Studies Centre postdoctoral fellow Sabino Kornrich. Read Article
Film documents Pentagon paper leak
11 June 2010
Lateline
The Most Dangerous Man in America is the story of Daniel Ellsberg, the man who leaked the Pentagon Papers - 7,000 pages of classified information that showed five presidents had lied to the American people about the Vietnam War. This interview with the film's director, Judith Ehrlich, provides insight into the historical significance of the famous leak. Judith Ehrlich is in Australia as a visitor of the US Studies Centre. Read transcript
Unemployment in today's US economy
11 June 2010
Sky Business On The Record
Leading labour market economist Professor Henry Farber from Princeton University says he is optimistic that the job market in the US will pick up because GDP has returned to positive territory in recent quarters. Issues of under-employment, under-utilisation and the role of the public and private sector labour markets going forward also features in this interview. Watch Online
Notes on America: Inequality, whistleblowers and American values
11 June 2010
In this edition:
- Meeting of minds at Inequality Workshop
- Profile of whistleblower draws strong interest
- American values: Gary Bauer campaign tape
- News, events and commentary Read More
Social fallout from America's prison boom
11 June 2010
Since the 1970s America's prison population has increased massively, which has lead to a coining of the phrase "mass incarceration" to describe the phenomenon. Bruce Western, Professor of Sociology from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, is a leading expert on the prison boom in the US and discusses in this interview how mass incarceration is affecting American society and in particular how it increases racial inequality. Professor Western, originally from Australia, also draws a parallel with the racial disparity apparent in Australia's prisons. Watch Online
The Latino vote and Arizona's controversial immigration law
11 June 2010
Chair of Chicano Studies at Stanford University, Professor Gary Segura, discusses the political impact of America's growing Latin American (Latino) population. He says that the Latino vote was critical in Barack Obama's election victory in 2008. Additionally Professor Segura considers how much Latinos identify with other population groups, and gives his insight into the political implications of the immigration law recently made in Arizona that has been denounced by President Obama. Watch Online
BP spill had its beginnings in Reagan era: expert
10 June 2010
JJJ Radio's Hack
Disaster recovery expert Edward Blakely says in this interview with Kaitlyn Sawrey that the BP oil spill came about because of the dismantling of the protection agencies during the Reagan presidency who could have prevented the disaster on the Deepwater Horizon. Professor Blakely is an Honorary Professor in Urban Policy at the US Studies Centre. Listen Online
Interview with the director of The Most Dangerous Man in America
9 June 2010
Radio National Breakfast
An interview with Judith Ehrlich, the director of Academy Award nominated documentary film The Most Dangerous Man in America. The film is about the Defence Department and White House consultant Daniel Ellsberg, who released the Pentagon Papers to the media back in 1971. The video also includes scenes from the documentary. Watch Online
A True Friend? The US-Australia alliance
9 June 2010
ABC Radio National Rear Vision
While there were connections between Australia and the US prior to the 1940s, it was during World War II that the military connections really took root and now the US is a key global ally of Australia. This radio documentary retraces the history of Australia's alliance with the US and features James Curran, a historian and research Associate at the US Studies Centre. Listen Online
Republicans risk irrelevance, says professor
9 June 2010
ABC The World Today with Eleanor Hall
In this interview Stanford University Professor, Gary Segura, discusses the potential for the Republican Party to slide into oblivion if it continues to court an exclusively white vote. Professor Segura says immigration and race will feature strongly in campaigning for the mid-term US Congressional elections in November. Gary Segura is in Australia as a Visitor of the US Studies Centre. Listen Online
The most dangerous man in America
9 June 2010
ABC Classic FM Mornings with Margaret Throsby
In this interview Judith Ehrlich discusses her Academy Award nominated documentary The Most Dangerous Man in America about Daniel Ellsberg and his controversial leaking of classified information concerning America's engagement in the Vietnam War. Judith Ehrlich is in Australia as a Visitor of the US Studies Centre. Listen Online
President with eye on the Pacific
9 June 2010
The Australian
Putting off Obama's visit to Australia, first to fight the healthcare reform endgame and now to respond to the oil spill disaster, is ample demonstration of the domestic imperative in contemporary American politics, writes Geoffrey Garrett. Read Article
Being prepared in deep water
8 June 2010
2SER The Wire
In this interview, disaster recovery expert Edward Blakely says that rather than focusing all blame on BP and their CEO Anthony Hayward, institutions like the United Nations and World Bank should take initiative to assemble expert teams devoted to disaster recovery so that what has happened since the collapse of the Deepwater Horizon can in the future be averted. Listen Online
The oil spill and Obama
8 June 2010
ABC PM
Professor Kenneth Prewitt of Columbia University discusses the political effects on Barack Obama of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. He says Obama has been careful and considered in his response, but a louder and swifter reaction might have better satisfied the public. It's too early to tell the long-term effects on his administration, but it could prove very significant. Prewitt is in Australia as a guest of the US Studies Centre. Listen Online
International students and Australian higher education
8 June 2010
Radio National Australia Talks
Fewer international students are choosing to study at Australian universities. Now it's predicted their numbers could fall by 20 per cent, costing the national economy up to $2 billion. So why is Australia losing its appeal among overseas students? And how does this affect the economic viability of our tertiary education sector? Featuring in this discussion is Dr Sean Gallagher, Chief Operating Officer of the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Listen Online
US race relations in the spotlight
8 June 2010
ABC2 Breakfast
Harvard Professor Jennifer Hochschild talks about race relations in the US and the reforms that the Obama adminstration are implementing to address race issues. Watch Online
California colleges' recruiting efforts could threaten Australia
7 June 2010
The Higher Education Chronicle
Expert on higher education Dr Sean Gallagher warns that increased competition from American institutions, as well as economic and cultural challenges demand that the Australia's higher education officials rethink their approach to recruiting people from China, India, and elsewhere in Asia. Dr Gallagher is Chief Operating Officer of the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Read article
Insights offered on Obama's ability to reach out
7 June 2010
The Australian
In this article, leading US public intellectual Glenn Loury discusses Barack Obama's successful use of new technology and social media in his campaign to become US President. Professor Loury is in Australia as a visitor of the US Studies Centre. Read article
What's right?
7 June 2010
The Quarterly Essay
Tom Switzer responds to Waleed Aly's essay "What's Right? The future of conservatives in Australia" from the previous issue of Quarterly Essay. Read Article
Israel losing its fearsome military reputation
7 June 2010
The National Times
Israel's Defence Force is losing its fearsome reputation particularly in the light of the bungled Gaza flotilla attack, writes the US Studies Centre's Jeremy Pressman. Read Article
Pressure on Israel as world condemns raid of aid flotilla
6 June 2010
Sky Sunday Agenda
Israel has been heavily condemned around the world following a botched raid by Israeli commandos on an aid convoy bound for the blockaded Gaza strip. Nine activists died in the encounter. Turkey is disappointed that the US have not publicly condemned Israel for their actions. Associate Professor in US Politics Brendon O'Connor discusses the issues. Watch Online
Acting from a force of habitat
5 June 2010
The Australian
After Copenhagen's failure, should we just learn to live with the consequences of climate change? Tom Switzer and Clive Hamilton debate. Read Article
Professor Glenn Loury analyses race relations in the United States
4 June 2010
ABC's PM with Mark Colvin
In this interview Professor Glenn Loury, expert in race issues in the United States, discusses the largest African-American middle class in American history contrasted with the existence of a black underclass featuring high incarceration, welfare and school drop-out rates. Glenn Loury is in Australia as a guest of the US Studies Centre. Listen Online
Gulf oil spill delays Obama visit to Australia
4 June 2010
ABC NewsRadio
The ongoing effects of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has resulted in the cancellation of Barack Obama's visit to Australia and Indonesia this month. Associate Professor in US Politics Brendon O'Connor says Obama has a number of complex issues confronting him which require his immediate attention. Listen Online
Obama cancels visit to Australia
4 June 2010
2GB
President Barack Obama has cancelled his trip to Australia for the second time. Associate Professor Brendon O'Connor says that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has become a major political problem for Obama requiring him to stay in the US. O'Connor says that the US-Australia relationship is still strong and that Obama is likely to visit later this year or early in 2011. Listen Online
Generation of US graduates may be forced to re-skill
4 June 2010
ABC The World Today
Labour market economist Hank Farber from Princeton University discusses the fragile US economic recovery. Professor Farber warns a generation of graduates may be forced to choose between re-skilling or joining the dole queue. Listen Online
Notes on America: Film, art and smart research
4 June 2010
In this edition:
- Fold Crumple Crush: The Art of El Anatsui
- SSMART stuff: World’s best research skills
- Giveaway: The Most Dangerous Man in America
- News and commentary Read More
US unemployment hits 10 per cent
3 June 2010
Lateline Business
While the United States is showing signs of recovery, unemployment has reached 10 per cent. Professor Henry Farber, one of America's foremost analysts on unemployment, says the unemployment rate has peaked but job security is not going to return any time soon. Professor Farber is in Australia as a Visitor of the US Studies Centre. Watch online or read transcript
Flotilla fiasco may create major setback for Israel
1 June 2010
The Drum Unleashed (ABC online)
Expert on the Arab-Israeli conflict Jeremy Pressman says the coming days will likely be full of both detailed revelations and further recriminations about Israeli forces boarding the aid flotilla heading for Gaza. Much to the Israeli government's dismay, the boarding may very well produce exactly what the organisers desired: not only bad press for Israel but also significantly more pressure to open the Gaza crossings. Jeremy Pressman is a postdoctoral fellow at the US Studies Centre. Read more
American Indians and Indigenous Australians
1 June 2010
SBS World View
This report examines the similarities and differences of the political situation for American Indians and Indigenous Australians in present day America and Australia. Mark Tushnet, Professor of Law at Harvard University and Visitor of the US Studies Centre, notes how the legacy of slavery and segregation of African Americans is an aspect of American history that has in some ways overshadowed the political situation of American Indians. Listen Online
