United States Studies Centre
@usstudiescentre.bsky.social
130 followers 34 following 230 posts
The leading think tank analysing US foreign policy, defence, economics, politics and culture. At the University of Sydney. Analysis of America. Insight for Australia. Solutions for the Alliance. 📅 Events: https://www.ussc.edu.au/events
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usstudiescentre.bsky.social
US Government shutdown not a huge political factor in upcoming midterm elections.

“The bigger damage… is how much this disincentivises America’s best and brightest from considering federal service,” @jaredmondschein tells ABC's The World Today.

Listen: https://ab.co/48RB87x
US Attorney General accused of weaponising office - ABC listen
The US Attorney General Pam Bondi has been accused of weaponising the country's leading law enforcement agency.
www.abc.net.au
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
Congratulations to USSC Chairman The Hon. Arthur Sinodinos AO on his honorary doctorate at the University of Sydney in recognition of his outstanding achievements over his impactful career. An honorary doctorate is the highest level of recognition by the university and it is very well deserved.
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
AUKUS isn’t the only tool for allied defence integration.

The NTIB — linking 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇦🇺🇨🇦🇳🇿 — remains one of the most powerful yet underused mechanisms for industrial cooperation.

Our latest report explores how to revive the mechanism: https://bit.ly/3L0arUj
The once and future US National Technology and Industrial Base: An American perspective
www.ussc.edu.au
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
"This is not a positive picture for the US economy or the functioning of the US Government."

@USSC's @jaredmondschein discusses the US Government shutdown and what this could mean for businesses and government operations.

Watch: https://ab.co/42pffIW
U.S. shutdown not a positive story for the US economy, expert warns
Follow the latest news headlines from Australia's most trusted source. Read in-depth expert analysis and watch live coverage on ABC News.
www.abc.net.au
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
Australians are fascinated by space — but many are looking outward, not inward.

More follow NASA than Australia's own space agency.

See what people are thinking: https://www.ussc.edu.au/looking-up-from-down-under-in-2025-re-investigating-australian-attitudes-to-national-space-activities
Reposted by United States Studies Centre
georgetown-sfs.bsky.social
What role should the U.S. play in the Indo-Pacific? On the @usstudiescentre.bsky.social’s Asia Chessboard Podcast, SFS Distinguished Fellow in Diplomacy Kurt Campbell discusses int'l security, tech in geopolitical competition & his time in the Biden admin.

Listen here: https://bit.ly/46FQFVu
The Asia Chessboard | Kurt Campbell: Reflections on Indo-Pacific Strategy
Analysis of America. Insight for Australia.
 Solutions for the Alliance.
bit.ly
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
In today’s contested world, power is not just military or economic — it’s narrative.

Our new explainer makes the case for a whole-of-government Strategic Communications capability in Australia.

Read:
Operationalising Strategic Communications: Developing Australia’s next sovereign capability
www.ussc.edu.au
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
Satellites power your GPS, your banking, even your weather app.

Yet most Australians don’t connect these everyday essentials to space.

USSC's Kat Robison and UNSW's Tristan Moss argue it’s time to change how we talk about space.

Read:
Australians want to spend more on space – but we don’t really know where we’re going
www.ussc.edu.au
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
“It is downright eerie to read, right now, Kamala Harris’ memoir of her 2024 presidential campaign.”

USSC's Bruce Wolpe reflects on Harris’s candid account of an historic, consequential race.

Read: https://www.ussc.edu.au/kamala-harris-candid-memoir-reveals-her-ideal-vice-president
Kamala Harris’ candid memoir reveals her ‘ideal’ vice president – and why she thinks she lost
www.ussc.edu.au
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
AUKUS is only part of the story.

Without strengthening the (often-overlooked) NTIB — Australia and its partners risk falling short on the speed and scale needed to meet regional challenges.

Our new analysis looks at what needs to change:
From framework to force multiplier: Rethinking the NTIB for a new strategic era
www.ussc.edu.au
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
Albanese should use his meeting with Trump in October to seek assurances on AUKUS, says USSC Chairman Arthur Sinodinos AO.

“It is important to nail down these security agreements... China’s worked very had to derail those processes."

Read:
All alone against China, warning for PM on Pacific
Australia is caught between a disinterested White House and an increasingly assertive Beijing, experts warn, as Anthony Albanese prepares to meet Donald Trump.
thenightly.com.au
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
Rare earths are arguably Australia’s best bargaining chip with the Trump administration as the US tries to avoid a shortage of minerals such as lithium, germanium, graphite and cobalt, if China was to withhold supply, says USSC's Hayley Channer.

Read:
Mission critical: Australia keen to lock in new US deal before Trump meeting
Canberra is negotiating with the president’s lieutenants to guarantee the Americans access to the elements needed to build everything from smartphones to fighter jets.
www.smh.com.au
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
Space is growing ever more important.

While more than half back funding an astronaut program, less than a quarter know where space policy is headed.

Read the report: https://www.ussc.edu.au/looking-up-from-down-under-in-2025-re-investigating-australian-attitudes-to-national-space-activities
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
RFK Jr’s anti-vaccine stance is dividing Republicans.

USSC’s Harry Melkonian says Trump must balance keeping Kennedy’s supporters — who could swing key electorates — with pushback from his own party.

Read:
Fault lines form as Robert F Kennedy Jr's anti-vaccine agenda forges ahead
US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr's anti-vaccination agenda is gaining ground, but resistance is coming from all sides.
www.abc.net.au
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
The late Charlie Kirk used open university forums to drive political engagement and inspire young people to vote for Donald Trump, explains USSC’s Jared Mondschein.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnuAawBYb6E
How Charlie Kirk used campus tours to engage with people he disagreed with | ABC NEWS
YouTube video by ABC News (Australia)
www.youtube.com
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
Charlie Kirk reshaped young conservative politics — and his assassination underscores the rise of political violence in America.

USSC’s Jared Mondschein examines what his death means for US politics.

Read:
Charlie Kirk’s assassination is the latest act of political violence in a febrile United States
www.ussc.edu.au
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
Defence industrial ties, joint ops and C2 coordination between 🇦🇺🇯🇵🇺🇸 all depend on one thing: better intelligence and information sharing.

Our new report explores how AJUS can overcome cultural, legal and technical barriers to get there.

Read:
AJUSINT: Advancing defence information and intelligence sharing between Australia, Japan and the United States
www.ussc.edu.au
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
China has already won the race in mineral processing. USSC's Hayley Channer argues Australia’s real competition is with the US, Vietnam, Canada and Europe to capture value from critical minerals before the “music stops.”

Read:
Why rare earths could redefine the Australia-US alliance
www.ussc.edu.au
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
7 days to go. From tariffs to AI, global conflicts and shifting alliances — 2025 is defined by disruption.

What does this mean for US allies, businesses and governments?

Find out at SISF 2025.

Get your last minute tickets:
https://www.ussc.edu.au/sydney-international-strategy-forum-2025
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
Pandas capture hearts — and serve China’s foreign policy interests.

USSC's David Smith and Sydney Uni's Minglu Chen talk the enduring practice of “panda diplomacy.”

Listen: https://www.ussc.edu.au/podcasts/ussc-briefing-room/ussc-briefing-room-the-role-of-panda-diplomacy-in-international-relations
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
Albanese has struggled to secure a meeting with Trump — but USSC’s Jared Mondschein says the latest call shows it’s closer:

“Especially with this administration, the personal really goes a long way.”

Read:
Latest phone chat points towards Albanese-Trump meeting
A phone call between Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump makes a face-to-face meeting of the two leaders more...
www.canberratimes.com.au
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
The US Supreme Court’s 2024–25 term brought important rulings on executive power, rights and regulation.

Dr Jemimah Roberts explains the key decisions — and their implications for US law and politics.

Read:
Constitutional law in the age of Trump 2.0: The Supreme Court’s 2024-25 term in review
www.ussc.edu.au
usstudiescentre.bsky.social
“Facts are wielded as weapons without historical review or internal contestation.”

USSC CEO Michael Green looks at how Beijing’s September 3 parade wasn’t just about military might, but the rewriting of history to shape the future.

Read:
History’s a battlefield and Beijing’s on the offensive: beware narrative weapons on show in past week
www.ussc.edu.au