As the United States celebrates its semiquincentennial, new polling from the United States Studies Centre (USSC) at the University of Sydney finds that while 58% of Australians believe President Trump’s second term has been bad for the Australia, 49% say Australia needs its alliance with the United States more than ever — more than twice the number who disagree.
To mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, USSC is releasing Reflections on America at 250, a special collection of articles from USSC experts, including new polling on the US-Australia relationship and essays reflecting on different aspects of American history and what it means today.
“America’s founding documents and most of America’s history have been full of contradictions. This is indicative of the tension between competing ideals in a country that allows the freedom for very different ideas to co-exist,” USSC CEO Dr Michael Green noted.
Articles include:
- American Independence at 250: Reflections from Down Under
CEO Dr Michael J. Green - America at 250: Australian public opinion and eternal interests
Director of Research Jared Mondschein - Polling results | Where do Australians stand on their most important ally?
Senior Research Associates Samuel Garrett and Ava Kalinauskas with Jared Mondschein - Australian and American democracy at 250
Senior Fellow Prof. Benjamin Reilly - America’s sacred documents
Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy David Smith - The Declaration of Independence and the women’s and anti-slavery movements
Senior Lecturer in American Studies Dr Kathryn Schumaker - The Declaration of Independence in the Australian classroom
Academic Director and Senior Lecturer in American Studies Dr Rodney Taveira - American innovation at 250
Lecturer in American Studies Dr Kathryn Robison - 1776 international geographies
Senior Lecturer in American Studies and Honours Coordinator Dr Aaron Nyerges - The Claremonters, the founding and the Trump administration
Professor of US Politics and US Foreign Relations Brendon O’Connor
The USSC will also be releasing a special USSC Briefing Room podcast series with the authors of Reflections on America at 250. The first episode with Prof. Benjamin Reilly is available now.
“For Australians, as with much of the world, American democracy is directly related to the credibility of the United States as an ally. This polling and essays explore these themes and what they mean in historic context and also as we look ahead to the future,” Dr Green concluded.
- Reflections on America at 250 is now available to view.
Media enquiries
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ussc.media@sydney.edu.au
Key polling findings
- 58% of Australians said President Trump’s second term has been either bad or very bad for Australia, compared to 16% who think it has been good.
- 36% of Australians now view the United States as mostly harmful in Australia, compared to 21% two years ago.
- 49% of Australians agree that “Australia needs its alliance with the United States more than ever” — similar to the 47% who agreed in 2025.
- 45% of Australians think the United States will become a better ally of Australia after Donald Trump’s presidency ends.