No campaign promise, rumour mill or day one executive order is as revelatory of a US president’s strategic intentions than the men and women they trust to guide them. A president’s Cabinet and key policy advisors have the extraordinary power of controlling the day-to-day decisions of the federal government. In essence, ‘personnel is policy’ and, as such, the key players of the Biden administration say a lot about the next four years of American politics.
How does Antony Blinken’s upbringing by refugees inform the Biden administration Middle East policy? Why is John Kerry seemingly the only household name of the president’s many advisors? Which names does Australia need to know?
At this webinar, United States Studies Centre Non-Resident Senior Fellow Bruce Wolpe and author of Key players in the Biden administration Research Associate Victoria Cooper, discussed these questions and more with host and USSC Senior Research Fellow Jared Mondschein.
Download Key players at a glance (PDF)
Bruce Wolpe
Non-Resident Senior Fellow, United States Studies Centre
Bruce Wolpe is a Senior Fellow (non-resident) at the United States Studies Centre. Bruce is a regular contributor on US politics across media platforms in Australia. In recent years, Bruce has worked with the Democrats in Congress during President Barack Obama's first term, and on the staff of Prime Minister Julia Gillard. He has also served as the former PM's chief of staff.
Victoria Cooper
Research Associate, United States Studies Centre
Victoria Cooper is a Research Associate at the United States Studies Centre, where she specialises in US domestic politics, public opinion and the Australian-US relationship. Her analysis has been featured across various Australian media outlets including the Australian Financial Review, ABC, the Conversation and the Sydney Morning Herald.
Jared Mondschein
Director of Research, United States Studies Centre
Jared Mondschein is the Director of Research at the United States Studies Centre. Previously, Jared was a Research Analyst at Bloomberg BNA in Washington, DC, where he focused on cross-border tax issues. Prior to joining Bloomberg BNA, Jared was a Research Associate in the Asia Studies program of the Council on Foreign Relations, an editorial assistant at Foreign Policy magazine, and an assistant editor at a policy journal in Beijing.
