1 September

A MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

The Alliance at 70

Today’s date marks 70 years since the ANZUS Treaty was signed in San Francisco in 1951.

Australia is a more capable Alliance partner now than in 1951, and a good thing too, given the globe’s geostrategic focus lies much closer to Australia than in 1951, and given the United States no longer can do as much of the heavy lifting as it did in the Second World War and its aftermath. The Alliance has never been as central to Australia’s national interests and, hence, Australia’s contribution to Alliance burden-sharing must be expected to grow.

Today, Australia and the United States face challenges that the architects of the ANZUS Treaty may not have foreseen. Contemporary challenges include economic coercion and, relatedly, how the Alliance remains relevant to younger generations who did not experience the destruction that preceded the Treaty’s signing. From polling analysis of Australian sentiment toward the Alliance to a trailblazing forthcoming report providing an Australian-US strategy to combat economic coercion, the United States Studies Centre is dedicated to providing robust, evidence-based analysis of these salient challenges.

I hope you can join us in commemorating this occasion. For many, that may be through our special virtual event with former prime ministers Julia Gillard and John Howard at 5pm today (AEST) or through our range of events and publications across the 70th anniversary of ANZUS, the 20th anniversary of September 11 and the upcoming Australia-US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN).

Sincerely,
Professor Simon Jackman
CEO of the United States Studies Centre

WEBINAR | 1 September

TODAY: The Alliance 70th anniversary
A United States Studies Centre Special Event

THE HON JOHN HOWARD OM AC

THE HON JULIA GILLARD AC

With special messages from

THE HON SCOTT MORRISON MP

THE HON GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN MP

THE HON ANTHONY ALBANESE MP

This event will be virtual via Zoom. You will need to register to participate virtually, either by phone or video link, using the registration button.

WHEN:
SYDNEY | Wednesday 1 September | 5:00-6:30pm AEST
PERTH | Wednesday 1 September | 3:00-4:30pm AWST

COST:
Free but registration is essential.

You can also subscribe to have event invitations and reminders sent straight to your inbox, so you never have to miss an event!

REGISTER NOW

VIDEO

Sneak peek: The Alliance at 70

NEWS WRAP

Alliance news

The alliance is calling | In lieu of a face-to-face meeting to celebrate the US-Australian alliance, a phone call between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and President Joe Biden is expected to be “not too far away”. The 70th anniversary of ANZUS is a reminder of the trusted partnership between the two countries and shared vision for stability and democracy in the Indo-Pacific region. READ MORE HERE
Alliance and self-reliance | Australia’s relationship with the United States is both an asset and a liability to its relationships in Southeast Asia, argues USSC Research Fellow Susannah Patton in today's Sydney Morning Herald. While the dynamics of the region have changed since the signing of ANZUS in 1951, the reality remains “for Australia, there can be no security in Asia without the United States.” LISTEN HERE
New challenges and new respect | Th e ANZUS treaty matured Australia’s strategic approach to various challenges in Asia. Facing new challenges, the alliance with the United States enjoys increased support among Australians. As USSC Non-Resident Senior Fellow Dr Charles Edel told the Australian Financial Review, the support is mutual, and Australia’s voice “carries growing weight” for Washington, who has great respect for Australia's contemporary policy decisions. READ MORE HERE
A “piecemeal” Indo-Pacific approach | Despite hopes the Biden administration would redouble its strategic efforts in the Indo-Pacific, Vice President Kamala Harris’ most recent trip to Singapore and Vietnam leaves room for doubt. As the USSC’s Ashley Townsend said, while some of the Vice President’s announcements were reassuring, “most deliverables were piecemeal” and fell flat among allies looking for greater US commitments in the region. READ MORE HERE

"As we look to the future, we will continue to stand together and defend the principles we share... and to take what ever challenges may arise head on. So, Prime Minister Morrison, and the people of Australia, thank you for your partnership and your friendship. God bless you all...'

President Joe Biden
Via US Department of State | 1 September 2021

ANALYSIS

At 70, most see US alliance as foundation of our security

Professor Simon Jackman
Chief Executive Office, USSC

As ANZUS turns 70 – and as the focus of the Australia-US alliance turns to challenges in the Indo-Pacific – Australians see the American alliance as a vital and dependable foundation of Australia’s security.

Yet our views about its relationship are tinged by wariness about Australia’s independence and realism about the nature and limits of US power.

The US Studies Centre regularly measures Australian sentiment towards the United States and the alliance. Our most recent polling (1,004 respondents, July 2021) finds some of the most positive evaluations of the alliance we’ve seen: 85 per cent of Australians think it is “very” or “somewhat” likely that the US would “substantially assist” Australia if we faced a military threat.

Asked if the US alliance decreases or increases the risk of an attack on Australia, “decrease” outpolled “increase” by 38 per cent to 23 per cent.

Decades of public opinion polling generally show Coalition voters to be the most bullish on the US alliance, slightly outpacing Labor voters, with both groups of major party supporters more positive than the Greens about the US alliance.

But our July 2021 data shows these variations to be smaller than is usually the case.

This is an excerpt from Simon Jackman's op-ed published by the Australian Financial Review this week.

BY THE NUMBERS

Australia's shifting views of the Alliance

Sarah Hamilton
Research Associate for Data Insights

Recent USSC polling reveals there has been a significant shift in Australian attitudes towards the US-Australian alliance. Polling from 2007 indicated just one fifth (19 per cent) of overall respondents thought Australia's alliances with the United States helped 'reduce the risk of an attack on Australia'. When asked the same question in July 2021, this doubled with 38 per cent agreeing the alliance reduces the risk of an attack on Australia.

Coalition, Labor and Green Party voters all saw a significant increase in thinking the US-Australian alliance reduces the risk of attacks to Australia, with Coalition voters increasing by 15 percentage points, from 31 per cent in 2007 to 46 per cent in 2021. Yet by far the greatest change came from The Greens and Labor voters. Amongst the latter, just 15 per cent thought this to be the case in 2007, compared to 35 per cent in July 2021, an increase in 20 percentage points. READ MORE HERE