"A NEW AMERICA?" - MEASURING POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES OF SOCIAL SHIFTS (POLITIQUE INTERNATIONALE)

Head over to the website of revue Politique Internationale to read my article appearing in the Winter 2012 volume.

The article (in French) analyzes the nature and depth of ongoing social shifts and the consequences on the major parties' messages and strategies; the political and ideological preferences of this "New America" (composed of strategic demographic and electoral blocs); and how these preferences will impact both America's domestic and foreign politics.

Visit Politique Internationale to read the full article in French.

OBAMA REELECTION CONFIRMS SHIFT IN US STRATEGIC CULTURE (IRSEM)

The reelection of Barack Obama confirms a shift in American strategic culture and has served to highlight deep and meaningful demographic and ideological transformations in the American electorate and in its foreign political preferences.

AMERICA'S DEMOGRAPHIC AND IDEOLOGICAL SHAKE-UP (FRANCE INFO)

I had the pleasure of sitting for an interview with France Info's Bernard Thomasson during his show "Le 12 14." We decrypt Obama's reelection and the increasing importance in American politics of the young multicultural Millennial generation - a coalition largely responsible for twice delivering Obama to victory.

Click here to listen to our discussion, originally aired on France Info on November 7 (around 3')

On a similar note, here is an article I published in March 2012 on the excellent site DIPLOWEB on how the emergence of two generational poles, the Millennials and the Baby Boomers, is shaping up to change US domestic politics and its foreign policy horizons.

CAPITAL BRIEF - PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CLOSING ARGUMENTS

Election Day is almost here! The latest Capital Brief looks at the state of the race heading into the vote and poses just a few of the many questions for the aftermath of November 6.

Click below to read the Brief.

24 HOURS IN AMERICA (FRANCE CULTURE)

Click here to listen to an interview this morning on France Culture (in French)

WHY OBAMA HASN'T CLINCHED RACE JUST YET (YES THEY CAN!, L'EXPRESS)

On Monday, September 24, Yes They Can, blog hosted by L'Express, posted an interview that touches on the role of Super PACs in financing the 2012 presidential campaigns, the impact of negative campaigning and political communications in this race, the "personality effect" of the two candidates, major economic and social issues dominating this cycle, and a word on the two opposing campaign strategies.

Watch after the jump.

CAPITAL BRIEF - ROMNEY ON DEFENSE POLICY

Here is the sixth issue of Capital Brief, from July 17, analyzing Mitt Romney's (still vague) defense policy proposals and their consequences.

Click below to read the Brief.

CAPITAL BRIEF - POLLING OPENS DOOR TO NEW OBAMA MESSAGING

Here is the third issue of Capital Brief, from June 26, focusing on how polling trends could lead to new opportunities, orientations and messaging for Obama's reelection campaign.

Click below to read the Brief.

DOMESTIC FALLOUT FROM ECONOMIC CRISIS

Given the overwhelming number of "most important" items on the current administration's agenda, foreign policy followers often wonder if America's domestic problems could have any bearing on US commitment to exterior questions.

In a study recently published by the Centre d'Etudes et de rechereches internationales (CERI) at Sciences Po Paris, "Gaps in the US Safety Net: A Challenge for the Obama Administration," Anne Daguerre attempts to lay bare the extent of America's social worries.

The economic crisis has turned upside down the American Dream's promise of success and social mobility through hard work. In the current climate, having a job is no longer a guarantee of being able to survive, and many employed Americans must still choose between paying for health care or food. Daguerre first provides an historical understanding of the different periods in US public assistance programs, from the Social Security Act of 1935 through today. All of this to give adequate context for today's growing social inequalities and poverty, before then moving on to deconstruct the president's efforts to respond thus far.

Some Key Points to Note:
- The current administration's public assistance efforts to "[mend] the US safety net" "build upon existing programs," and Democrats are "reluctant to push progressive programs that threaten their reelection" in an electoral climate increasingly controlled by Independents. Nevertheless, there are three major differences between Bush's and Obama's responses to growing economic hardship among Americans.

1. "The Obama administration is seriously committed to the idea of workforce development and education."

2. "The Obama administration places more emphasis on programme alignment and interagency cooperation than was the case under the Bush administration."

3. The current administration is "truly committed to raising the educational levels of the entire American workforce," which is "driven by the president himself."

The primary function of social policy for the current administration is to "equip individuals to become or remain employable once new jobs are created." But Obama is unlikely to attempt radical changes to the architecture of the US social protection system, preferring rather to focus on developping skills and competencies to bolster the quality of the US labor force.

- Amy Greene

Click here to purchase the full text in English (CERI Website)