USSC Briefing Room

The words of the Declaration of Independence are world famous and, in many ways, America’s founding documents are “sacred” although they are secular. What makes America’s Declaration of Independence and Constitution unique? How are Australia’s founding documents different? How have these differences played out in the relationship between these foundational documents and their people?   In honour o...

Australia’s history over the past 250 years is inextricably linked with the American experiment. What are the successes and challenges of the US diverse and decentralised governance model? How have US politics influenced Australian politics? Can One Nation become like the MAGA movement under a different political system?   In honour of America’s semiquincentennial, the USSC has published a compila...

The term “economic security” is having a bit of a moment. While generally unheard of a few years ago, the past three Australian budget speeches have all mentioned economic security and this year, the Australian government announced $38.9 million in funding to increase economic security and resilience and countries around the world are starting to move beyond free trade or investment deals to ink e...

From online chatbots to enormous data centres, it is increasingly difficult to ignore artificial intelligence in our daily lives. Do governments still stand a chance to shape the future of AI development? What could Australia’s data centre boom mean for the nation’s energy grid? Does Australia have a role to play when it comes to the Indo-Pacific’s regional AI capabilities?   Director of Strategic...

Last month the Trump administration submitted the largest defence budget request in history – US$1.5 trillion, which is a 40% increase from the prior year. At the same time, the administration is seeking to circumvent Congress’ ‘power of the purse’ through various legislative manoeuvres, effectively expanding the powers of the executive branch.   What can the budget request tell us about the Trump...

For our 100th episode, USSC CEO Dr Michael Green joins the podcast to discuss Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to Australia last week. She and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shared a number of joint statements on economic security, critical minerals, energy security, cyber and defence and security cooperation and announced the Australia-Japan leadership dialogue. However,...

Throughout March and April, Pope Leo XIV began speaking out against the war in Iran and the violence, saying it was an “unjust war.” Shortly after 60 Minutes aired an episode with Catholic officials criticising the war, President Trump started attacking the Pope on social and then shared the now-infamous image of Trump as a Christ-like figure.   Why are both the Pope and Donald Trump so focused on...

Space exploration has recaptured the public imagination. The successful Artemis II mission to the Moon heralds a new era of human spaceflight beyond low-Earth orbit for the first time since the 1970s. The United States, China and other global space powers are now racing to return to the Moon and beyond. But what role could Australia play in this 21 st century space race? What are the opportunities...

Amid rising global tensions, Taiwan continues to be a regional flashpoint in the Indo-Pacific. What is the current state of Australia-Taiwan relations? What challenges does Taiwan face in a new security era? How should regional allies and partners engage with Taiwan on its own terms — and what could this mean for China’s grand strategy?   Professor Peter Dean , Senior Advisor for Defence Strategy...

From the expiration of the New START Treaty to the war with Iran, headlines about nuclear risks are consistently in the news at the moment. How significant is the expiration of the New START Treaty? How have nuclear risks changed since the war with Iran began? What are the major nuclear threats facing the world at the moment?   Dr Daniel Salisbury joined the USSC Briefing Room to discuss these iss...

In this episode USSC CEO Dr Michael Green and USSC Director of Research Jared Mondschein sat down with USSC Director of Engagement and Impact Mari Koeck on Friday, 6 March 2026 to discuss the latest on the war with Iran.   What led the United States to attack Iran now? How does this compare to the Iraq War and actions of prior administrations? How are US allies responding?   Mike draws on his expe...

The Trump administration recently completed its AUKUS review, including a directive from President Trump to proceed “full steam ahead” on AUKUS Pillar I. But even after securing the Trump stamp of approval, there has been comparatively little information on how the review handled Pillar II and experts have raised concerns about the growing scope of advanced capabilities it now includes.   Is AUKUS...

Are we seeing a rupture or a transition in 2026? USSC CEO Dr Michael Green and USSC Director of Foreign Policy and Defence Dr Lavina Lee sat down with host Mari Koeck to discuss what the geopolitical developments in Iran, Venezuela and Greenland mean for alliances and middle powers.   Can NATO survive the Greenland pressure? What is the end game with Venezuela and Iran? How should middle powers li...

India’s relationships with key international partners changed significantly in 2025. Following the tariff standoff with the United States, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in close meetings with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Summit. And an Indian Defence Minister visited Australia for the first time in 12 years in October. What is driving these changes in India’s...

Admiral Lisa Franchetti’s career spanned 40 years, nearly half of which was at sea. She was the first woman to serve as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first woman to serve as Chief of Naval Operations and only the second woman to ever be promoted to four-star admiral in the US Navy. When visiting Australia in November, Admiral Franchetti (ret’d) joined Research Fellow Tom Corben on the...

Recently we have seen cracks forming within the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement. We are seeing Republican members of Congress push back on issues, like the Epstein files or President Trump’s approach to Ukraine, in the most significant way since he took office in January.  What is causing these rifts within the MAGA movement? Is MAGA whatever President Trump says it is? How are these tens...

The United States Studies Centre (USSC) has just released our annual Allies and partners poll .  The USSC polled publics in Australia, the United States, Japan and, for the first time this year, India. This means there was polling data to compare public opinion across all four Quad countries. Where do the Quad countries stand on Trump, security and the future of the Indo-Pacific? What are the bigg...

On 2 April 2025, President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on most countries around the globe as part of “Liberation Day” but is the president allowed to impose tariffs like that? This is the question the US Supreme Court is considering at the moment. What were the arguments for and against the presidential power to unilaterally tariff? How are the justices likely to decide? How could their decis...

As China’s rapid military modernisation reshapes the regional security landscape, deterrence has become the cornerstone of US and allied strategies in the Indo-Pacific. Former US Marine Corps Commandant General David Berger (ret’d) joined the USSC Briefing Room, reflecting on the bold reforms that transformed the Marine Corps and the growing importance of interoperability with allies like Australi...

Recently, a gunman killed four people and wounded eight at a Latter Day Saints (or Mormon) church in Michigan. President Trump described this as “yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America” – but there are distinct differences between this and other high-profile shootings.   How was this similar to or different from other attacks on religious institutions in America?...

President Trump wants to make American shipbuilding great again. China has significant dominance in shipbuilding with 34% of all ships on water being made in China and 57% of ships under construction being made in China.   How do systems around finance and infrastructure influence global power dynamics? How much of a concern is increasing US shipbuilding? What role does Australia play in the shipb...

This week Lisa Curtis joins the podcast. She is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Program for a New American Security and she served in the US Government for more than 20 years across the White House National Security Council, CIA, State Department and Capitol Hill.   What has changed in America at home and abroad from a year ago? Are US alliances fit for purpose? Where can US allie...

When Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited China this year, his visit to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding got some of the most media attention. How did pandas become China’s national treasure and how are they used in diplomacy? Could trade wars or heightened competition with China lead to the removal of pandas from the United States or other countries? What role will...

Legislation is hard to pass in the United States, but tends to have a longer-lasting impact than executive orders, which can be easily overturned. President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act put climate change at the forefront of his legislative agenda. Now, with President Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill Act , we see the first major legislative action of Trump 2.0, particularly related to climate ch...

Six years after his death in prison, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continues to make headlines due to his longtime friendship with President Trump. While most news cycles in the Trump-era have a flashbang approach, this one has remarkable staying power and the legal logistics are key to understanding the story.   What was the legal case against Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell? H...