The United States Studies Centre launched its publication, US Midterms 2022: The stakes for Australia and the alliance at a special event in Canberra.
The presumption of a red wave in the US November midterms elections has been tempered by setbacks on the Republican agenda and significant legislative victories for Democrats. But the winner of the US House and Senate elections impacts far more than US domestic politics. The US posture toward China, defence funding, trade agreements and more all hinge on the makeup of Congress. For Australia, the stakes have never been higher in a US midterms election.
To explore these topics, USSC commissioned polling on public opinion in the United States, Australia and Japan on issues ranging from sentiment toward AUKUS and the stationing of US troops in allied nations to alignment on climate change and priorities for the next US Congress.
The report launch presented novel findings, documenting and analysing these challenges and their implications for Australia. It featured discussions with:
Panel: National security implications for the alliance agenda
- Professor Peter Dean – Director of Foreign Policy and Defence, United States Studies Centre
- Dr Miah Hammond-Errey – Director of Emerging Technology, United States Studies Centre
- Dr Peter Lee – Research Fellow, Foreign Policy and Defence, United States Studies Centre
A conversation with The New York Times' Jane Coaston on what's happening in America
- Jane Coaston – The New York Times
- Dr Michael Green - CEO, United States Studies Centre
The US political map ahead of November 8
- Ron Brownstein – CNN and The Atlantic
Presentation: Exclusive USSC polling on public opinion in the United States, Australia and Japan
- Jared Mondschein – Director of Research, United States Studies Centre
- Victoria Cooper – Research Associate, United States Studies Centre
Watch session 1:
Watch session 2:
Watch session 3:
Watch session 4:

Professor Peter Dean
Director, Foreign Policy and Defence, United State Studies Centre
Professor Peter J. Dean PhD SFHEA is the Director, Foreign Policy and Defence at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Previously Professor Dean was the University of Western Australia’s (UWA) first Chair of Defence Studies and the inaugural director of the UWA Defence and Security Institute. Most recently Professor Dean was Co-Lead of the 2023 Defence Strategic Review (DSR) Secretariate.

Dr Miah Hammond-Errey
Director, Emerging Technology, United States Studies Centre
Dr Miah Hammond-Errey is the Director of the Emerging Technology Program at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Her work explores the intersections of emerging technologies and security. Previously she was a Senior Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and has published across mainstream media, think tanks as well as in academic and military press.

Dr Peter K. Lee
Research Fellow, Foreign Policy and Defence Program, United States Studies Centre
Dr Peter K. Lee is a Research Fellow in the Foreign Policy and Defence Program at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. His research explores security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific, including US foreign policy, middle powers, alliance politics and regional cooperation. His recent publications cover Australia-US security relations, AUKUS, maritime security, Northeast Asian security, and defence industry.

Jane Coaston
Host of "The Argument" at the New York Times
Jane Coaston is the host of "The Argument" at the New York Times. Previously, she was the senior politics reporter at Vox, with a focus on conservatism and the GOP. Her work has appeared on MSNBC, CNN and NPR and in National Review, The Washington Post, The Ringer and ESPN Magazine, among others. In addition, she is a former resident fellow at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics.

Dr Michael J. Green
Chief Executive Officer, United States Studies Centre
Dr Michael Jonathan Green is chief executive officer at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Previously Dr Green was senior vice president for Asia, Japan Chair, and Henry A. Kissinger Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and director of Asian Studies and Chair in Modern and Contemporary Japanese Politics and Foreign Policy at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He served on the staff of the National Security Council (NSC) from 2001 through 2005.

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.

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.