Dystopia, Populism and the Future of America

Where does Australia fit in all of this? Leading experts share opposing views

Trying to make sense of what’s happening in the world right now? Join Deakin academics Zim and Clare in conversation with Emma Shortis and Tim Lynch, two Australian academics and leading experts on US politics and history, with sharply different perspectives. From current global conflicts and the resultant media narratives to questions around Australian identity and how our future fits alongside the US, nothing is off the table. This episode offers a rare chance to hear informed, differing perspectives side by side. The conversation is (mostly) diplomatic, always engaging, and packed with insight into the biggest issues shaping both America and Australia.

Dystopia, Populism and the Future of America

Can a dystopian novel help us predict America’s future? And what can we learn from an Italian ere shaped by an attention-seeking populist? Clare and Zim sit down with Adriano Tedde, Lecturer in Strategic and American Studies at Deakin’s Centre for Future Defence and National Security, to explore how Italy’s past mirrors modern America and how popular culture may act as a crystal ball for what lies ahead.

America’s Election Expert Finds Answers Down Under

Welcome to Season Two of Presidency Upending! In this first episode, Clare and Zim dive into the complexities of U.S. politics with one of America’s leading experts on election law, Professor Edward B. Foley from Ohio State University. Foley offers historical context and clarity on some of the most perplexing features of American politics, from the Electoral College and campaign finance to the intricacies of social choice theory and the growing challenge of political polarisation. The answer to which, Foley believes, may lie in the work of Melbourne’s very own Edward Nanson, a 19th-century professor whose innovative electoral system inspired Foley’s visit to Australia. Learn more about Professor Foley’s research here:  👉 ERRN Working Paper 2025-1: Foley, Nanson’s Method and American Democracy [https://law.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/5385428/ERRN-WP_2025-1_Foley_final_15.09.25_AG.pdf]

A politics podcast on podcasts in politics

In this episode, Clare and Zim go meta by interviewing a podcast expert on their podcast.  Maria Rae, Senior Lecturer in Politics and Policy at Deakin University's School of Humanities and Social Sciences has published extensively on the cultural influence of this burgeoning medium. Join Clare and Zim as they explore the many ways podcasts are shaping political discourse and pepper Maria with such burning questions as, "How are podcasts swaying the political leanings of the masses?" and "What can we do to get more followers?”

On Populism

In this episode, Clare and Zim, academics from Deakin University's School of Humanities and Social Sciences, dive into the complexities of the American election results and ask what another Trump presidency will mean for America, Australia and the world. They are joined by guest speaker, populism expert and Deakin's Executive Dean of Arts and Educations Professor Simon Tormey who  provides some intriguing thoughts on what the upcoming US inauguration will mean for us all.