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Newsroom FeedNewsroom
Dead heat nation
31 August 2010
On Line Opinion
Will Turner says our latest federal election campaign resembled America’s presidential race because it quickly became all about the party leaders. Particular comparison is made with Gore v Bush in 2000 and Kennedy v Nixon in 1960. Will Turner is a media officer at the US Studies Centre. Read article
Restoring honour?
30 August 2010
Triple J's Hack program
American media personality Glenn Beck held a rally in Washington DC on the anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. The stated intention was to "restore honour" to America, but Dr Rebecca Sheehan says that the political Right in America have a history of appropriating the tactics of other movements for political ends. Rebecca Sheehan is a lecturer in US history at the US Studies Centre.
War in Afghanistan: when will the job be done?
30 August 2010
The Drum Unleashed (ABC online)
The war in Afghanistan has become a major talking point in America recently due to the standing down of General McChrystal as well as the Wikileaks controversy. However, Tom Switzer notes that in the Australian election campaign neither leader explained satisfactorily the rationale behind Australia's 1,500-strong troop and personnel presence in Afghanistan. Tom Switzer is a research associate at the US Studies Centre. Read article
Peter Beinart meets 'US in the World' students
30 August 2010
Associate Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York Peter Beinart was guest lecturer for Professor Geoffrey Garrett's 'US in the World' class at the University of Sydney last week. Speaking to 200 undergraduates, the senior political writer for The Daily Beast discussed issues including the US mid term elections, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the debate about the Ground Zero mosque. Watch Online
Unrepentant liberal hawk still has a feather to fly with
28 August 2010
The Weekend Australian
Many of Peter Beinart's judgments are counter-intuitive for a modern US liberal: he is sceptical of Woodrow Wilson's motives, admiring of Richard Nixon's political skill, ruthless in his descriptions of Bill Clinton's sloppy personal habits and almost fond of Ronald Reagan. This piece provides some insight into the acclaimed journalist and author who is in Australia as a visitor of the US Studies Centre. Read article
Foreign policy questions
26 August 2010
Australia Network Business Today
In this interview Geoffrey Garrett from the US Studies Centre discusses the lack of focus on foreign policy and trade during the Australian election campaign. A key focus of the discussion are the respective importance of the United States and China to Australia's economic future.
Notes on America: Foreign policy limits, new appointments and flexibility v commitment
26 August 2010
In this edition:
- Obama facing US foreign policy limits
- New Centre appointments
- US Work & Home: flexibility v commitment
- Events and commentary Read More
Peter Beinart on American foreign policy hubris
26 August 2010
Peter Beinart is a recognised expert on American foreign policy. An associate professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York, Beinart is also a senior political writer for the popular blog The Daily Beast. In this interview Beinart explains the title of his most recent book, The Icarus Syndrome: a history of American hubris, and discusses the challenges facing President Obama which include two unfinished wars and the attempted revival of peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians. Watch Online
Can American troops leave Afghanistan?
25 August 2010
ABC's PM with Mark Colvin
In this interview journalist and author on US foreign policy, Peter Beinart discusses the tensions surrounding President Obama, the US military leadership and the prospects for troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Listen Online
The Icarus Syndrome
25 August 2010
ABC Radio National Late Night Live
In this interview, journalist and author Peter Beinart discusses his latest book on American foreign policy The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris. Peter Beinart is in Australia as a visitor of the US Studies Centre. Listen Online
Allison Pugh: US Studies Centre postdoctoral fellow
25 August 2010
Allison Pugh is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia, and for the next 12 months will be one of six postdoctoral fellows based at the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. In this interview Allison Pugh discusses her award winning book Longing and Belonging, and discusses her plan to research how people in the US are handling the dual trend of insecurity in both the work and domestic sphere. Watch Online
Analysis of Obama
25 August 2010
ABC News Radio
Senior political writer for popular blog The Daily Beast, Peter Beinart discusses with John Barron the problems the president is facing from astronomic debt, an economy in trouble and a potentially hostile congress by the end of the year. Listen Online
Cutting defence programmes: Here’s how
24 August 2010
As the governments of the United States and United Kingdom announce plans for significant cuts to national defense, US Studies Centre Visiting Professor Colin Campbell presents a new study explaining how the Obama Administration succeeded in achieving cuts to major defense programs within its first year. The findings appear in paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, September 2-5.
The study, by Campbell and his collaborator Timothy Came of the University of British Columbia, finds that the Obama Administration and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates were able to draw upon the economic climate and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to succeed in this difficult endeavour. More important, it details how elements of the process for determining and presenting these cuts channeled the impact of these contextual factors and manipulated causal mechanisms to promote the cancellation of major defense programs.
US Ambassador speaks to University of Sydney undergraduates
23 August 2010
US Ambassador to Australia Jeffrey Bleich spoke to 200 undergraduates at the University of Sydney last week. As a guest at Professor Geoffrey Garrett's US in the World class, Bleich discussed a range of issues including the Obama presidency, America's foreign debt, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Watch video
Down and to the right for Australia
21 August 2010
The Globe and Mail
How should North America characterize Australia in 2010? Tom Switzer says that despite the importance of its alliance with the US, Australians are increasingly focused on the local. And regardless of the winner of this weekend’s tight election contest, Australia will remain a pretty conservative place. Tom Switzer is a research associate at the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Read article
Emotive issue on both sides of the Pacific
20 August 2010
The Australian
Illegal immigration is a big issue in Australia and the US this election season. However it is playing out quite differently on the two sides of the Pacific, say Geoffrey Garrett and Simon Jackman. Geoffrey Garrett is chief executive of the US Studies Centre and Simon Jackman is a professor of political science at Stanford University. Read article
Immigration in the US and Australia: some similarities, some differences
19 August 2010
Sky News Australia
US Studies Centre chief executive Geoffrey Garrett discusses the finer details of how Australians and Americans respectively feel about immigration levels, border protection and how their governments are handling these issues. Watch Online
New study compares US, Australian attitudes to migrants
19 August 2010
Radio Australia Pacific Beat
The United States Study Centre in conjunction with Stanford University conducted a survey both here and in the US about attitudes towards illegal immigrants. It found Australians are more concerned about taking too many immigrants despite the fact there is on average about 3,000 asylum seekers each year, whereas in America there are 11 million illegal immigrants. In this interview the US Studies Centre's CEO professor Geoffrey Garrett discusses why Australians may feel like this. Listen Online
Immigration as a big issue in America and Australia
19 August 2010
ABC2 News Breakfast
Geoffrey Garrett discusses the significance of asylum seekers and border protection in Australia and America after a recent survey conducted by the US Studies Centre and Stanford University. Watch Online
Australians out-worry Americans on illegal immigration: A comparative survey
19 August 2010
An election-campaign survey commissioned by the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney in conjunction with Stanford University has found that Australians are more concerned about illegal immigration than those in the United States.
The survey released today canvassed the attitudes of Australians and Americans towards illegal immigrants, immigration generally, and the strengths and weaknesses of the respective party policies. It was carried out by US-based polling firm YouGov/Polimetrix , with Australian polling occurring during the first week of the current federal election campaign between July 14 and 22, and American polling done in February 2010. Read More
Notes on America: Aus/US immigration attitudes, foreign policy hubris & midterm mayhem
19 August 2010
In this edition:
- Australians out-worry Americans on immigration
- American foreign policy hubris
- Midterm mayhem awaits Obama
- Events and commentary Read More
Obama, Capitol Hill and the November midterms
18 August 2010
Michael Kranish is a Washington based political correspondent for the Boston Globe newspaper. In this interview he discusses what the mood is like on Capitol Hill, what issues will feature between now and November and what the likely implications are for the Obama presidency. Michael Kranish is in Australia as a visitor of the US Studies Centre. Watch Online
The Cold War battle for homes and lifestyles
18 August 2010
The Cold War is best known for nuclear brinkmanship, top secret spying and controversial campaigns involving Vietnam, Afghanistan and Latin America. However, Greg Castillo has written a book about the post-World War II Marshall Plan's efforts to introduce American lifestyles and consumption patterns to the people of Europe. In this interview Castillo gives his insights into the discovery that led him to write about this intriguing propaganda war in his book, Cold War on the Homefront. Watch Online
How does compulsory voting affect the election equation?
17 August 2010
ABC News 24
How differently do parties campaign under compulsory and voluntary voting systems? Geoffrey Garrett, Chief Executive of the US Studies Centre considers this question by comparing the United States with Australia. Watch Online
Targeted killings
17 August 2010
Australia Network Newsline
This story examines the use of executive power by presidential administrations to carry out assassinations apart from any legal due process. Featuring in this story is intelligence expert Amy Zegart who is in Australia as a visitor of the US Studies Centre. Watch Online
Renaissance man of contradictions
16 August 2010
The Australian
Boston Globe Washington political correspondent and biographer Michael Kranish discusses in this interview some history about Thomas Jefferson that Kranish unearthed when writing Flight From Monticello. Michael Kranish is a visitor of the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Read article
Notes on America: Post-9/11 intelligence, Cold War style and presidential campaigning in the '70s
16 August 2010
In this edition:
- Post-9/11 intelligence & Wikileaks
- Cold War on the home front: Nixon, Kruschev & kitchens
- The Campaign Tapes - presidential egos & dirty tricks
- Events and commentary Read More
US intelligence since 9/11 and Wikileaks
12 August 2010
Amy Zegart is a recognised voice on intelligence reform in the US. In 1999 she wrote Flawed By Design, a book examining the weaknesses in America's national security agencies. Her award winning 2007 work Spying Blind: The CIA, the FBI and the Origins of 9/11 was the culmination of five years of research. In this interview Zegart notes that while there have been some improvements since 9/11, reform of the US intelligence community is stalling in important areas. Zegart also discusses the recent Wikileaks controversy and says that the news from it is not all bad for America's national security system.
Design as a weapon in the Cold War
11 August 2010
ABC Radio National By Design
The role of design in the battle between capitalism and socialism is the subject of a new book, 'Cold War on the Home Front: The Soft Power of Midcentury Design'. In this interview, the book's author, Greg Castillo discusses his work. Greg Castillo is a research associate at the US Studies Centre. Listen Online
US defence spending and counter-terrorism
10 August 2010
Sky News
In this interview, acclaimed author of two books examining organisational weakness in US intelligence agencies, Amy Zegart discusses how spending cuts on defence could affect America's national security. Amy Zegart is in Australia as a visitor of the US Studies Centre. Watch Online
'Three tiered' terrorist threat to the US
10 August 2010
ABC2 News Breakfast
In this interview, University of California intelligence specialist Amy Zegart discusses the three tiered terrorist threat facing America today. Zegart says this consists of 'Al-Qaida central', regional terrorist cells and home-grown radicalisation in the US and abroad. Watch Online
Guantanamo mess yet to be sorted
10 August 2010
SBS World News Australia
US Studies Centre visitor Amy Zegart, author of two books examining the organisational weaknesses of the US intelligence community, says that the set of procedures and systems set up at Guantanamo Bay after the September 11 terrorist attacks were made "on the fly" and that the situation is far from resolved. Watch Online
Holes in America's intelligence defences
10 August 2010
ABC News PM with Mark Colvin
Acclaimed intelligence expert Amy Zegart says the CIA is better at cooperating with the Pentagon on operations and getting better at analysis. However, Zegart notes the US director of national intelligence who's supposed to oversee the entire intelligence establishment is "embattled at best and hopelessly weak at worst". Listen Online
9/11 counter-terrorism lessons 'being forgotten'
9 August 2010
ABC Lateline
America's national security agencies continue to have organisational weaknesses that were exposed by the 9/11 terrorist attacks according to US intelligence expert Amy Zegart. Amy Zegart is a visitor of the US Studies Centre. Watch Online
Climate of emissions trading cools
5 August 2010
The Australian
Tom Switzer says Australia is not alone in failing to put a price on carbon, with the Democrats failing to push legislation through this year in America and many countries faltering on the issue. Tom Switzer is a Research Associate at the US Studies Centre. Read article
Notes on America: Counter-terrorism, foreign policy and Rumsfeld's military ruckus
5 August 2010
In this edition:
- US Counter-Terrorism in 2010
- Top students grill US foreign policy authority
- US military top-down transformation – Rumsfeld’s ruckus
- Events and commentary Read More
