USSC Briefing Room

Australia’s history over the past 250 years is inextricably linked with the American experiment. What are the successes and challenges of the US diverse and decentralised governance model? How have US politics influenced Australian politics? Can One Nation become like the MAGA movement under a different political system? In honour of America’s semiquincentennial, the USSC has published a compilations of essays and recent polling: Reflections on America at 250 and we will release a series of podcast episodes with the authors. In the first episode in the series we are speaking with Professor Benjamin Reilly about his article: Australian and American democracy at 250.

On 2 April 2025, President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on most countries around the globe as part of “Liberation Day” but is the president allowed to impose tariffs like that? This is the question the US Supreme Court is considering at the moment.What were the arguments for and against the presidential power to unilaterally tariff? How are the justices likely to decide? How could their decision impact one of the president’s signature policies?To consider these questions, we invited ABC’s Planet America Co-Host Chas Licciardello back on the podcast with Director of Impact and Engagement Mari Koeck to take a deep dive into the Supreme Court tariffs case.If you like a deep dive on Supreme Court issues, you may want to listen to these other episodes with Chas:Deep dive into Trump’s Supreme Court immunity hearing with Chas LicciardelloTrump’s immune. It is so ordered – featuring Chas LicciardelloCheck out PEP with Chas and Dr Dave here:YouTubeSpotifyAppleSubscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

Recently, a gunman killed four people and wounded eight at a Latter Day Saints (or Mormon) church in Michigan. President Trump described this as “yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America” – but there are distinct differences between this and other high-profile shootings. How was this similar to or different from other attacks on religious institutions in America? What are the motivations behind these attacks? Is there a throughline between the assassination of Charlie Kirk and an attack on an LDS church in Michigan? Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy at the United States Studies Centre David Smith joined the podcast to discuss these questions. He is one of Australia’s leading experts on religious persecution in America and is the author of Religious Persecution and Political Order in the United States. Related content:The Michigan church shooting sits within a long history of hatred against Mormons in AmericaUSSC Briefing Room | Religious Persecution and Political Order in the United States

This week Lisa Curtis joins the podcast. She is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Program for a New American Security and she served in the US Government for more than 20 years across the White House National Security Council, CIA, State Department and Capitol Hill. What has changed in America at home and abroad from a year ago? Are US alliances fit for purpose? Where can US allies go from here? These were key questions that Lisa Curtis looked at in her panel discussions at Sydney International Strategy Forum 2025. We took a deeper dive into these topics on the podcast. Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

Legislation is hard to pass in the United States, but tends to have a longer-lasting impact than executive orders, which can be easily overturned. President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act put climate change at the forefront of his legislative agenda. Now, with President Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, we see the first major legislative action of Trump 2.0, particularly related to climate change and energy. How “Trump proof” was Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act? How does the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act change the dial on energy and climate policy? What will be the lasting energy legacy of Trump 2.0? Director of Research Jared Mondschein sat down with USSC Non-Resident Fellow Lachlan Carey to discuss these issues. Lachlan is a manger at RMI, where he leads work on US regional economic development through clean energy investment. He is also the author of the Trump 2.0 chapter “Climate and energy policies: Executing the Inflation Reduction Act.” Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

The White House has recently released America’s AI Action Plan: Winning the race and, in launching the plan, President Trump said, “America is the country that started the AI race. And as President of the United States, I’m here today to declare that America is going to win it.” How much of the AI Action Plan is about competing with China? What is in the plan and what’s missing? What could or should Australia’s role be in the AI race? Director of Strategic Technologies Olivia Shen joined Director of Engagement and Impact Mari Koeck on the podcast to discuss these questions. Olivia previously led the Data Science and AI Strategy section for the Australian Department of Home Affairs and she was a Fulbright Scholar looking at the ethics of AI in national security. Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat