On 7 February, President Biden will make his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress and his first appearance before the newly Republican-controlled House of Representatives. As directed by the US Constitution, the sitting president must deliver to Congress "information of the State of the Union". Less of a report card, the annual message has become an opportunity for the president to publicly tout their accomplishments and rally support for their policy agenda for the year ahead.
How will President Biden present his legislative roadmap to a divided Congress? Will any messages cut through beyond the focus on classified materials and the 2024 election? Will any foreign policy priorities get a mention beyond Ukraine?
To explore these issues ahead of President Biden's address, the United States Studies Centre hosted a webinar featuring USSC politics experts Associate Professor David Smith and Research Associate Victoria Cooper in conversation with Director of Research Jared Mondschein.
Associate Professor David Smith
Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy, United States Studies Centre (jointly appointed with the School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney)
David Smith is jointly appointed between the US Studies Centre and the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Sydney. His research examines political relations between states and minorities, with a focus on religion in the US. His book Religious Persecution and Political Order in the United States was published by Cambridge University Press in 2015.
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.
