Date/Time
Date(s) - Mon 5 May
12:30 - 14:00
Location
Lecture Theatre 3, Rutherford House, VUW
Join experts from the School of Government in a curated discussion of the policies and impact of the new US administration.
Description
The School of Government is presenting a curated discussion of developments in the US administration. Two discussants will briefly suggest ways of addressing and understanding the situation, followed by invited contributions from all those in the room.
1. Trump’s economic and tariff policies
The first part, led by Alan Bollard, will consider how to think about the economic shock we are enduring from Trumpian economics and border policies. What is he trying to achieve, and what about the unusual techniques he is using to get there? How much do we really know, and how much is still uncertain or may change further? What is it doing to the USA? And more importantly, what about us and the rest of the world?
Alan Bollard
Alan Bollard has managed the APEC organisation, the Reserve Bank of NZ, the NZ Treasury, the Commerce Commission, the NZ Institute of Economic Research, and chaired the Infrastructure Commission. He is currently Chair of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council, Acting Chair of the Tertiary Education Commission, lectures at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, and has other affiliations.
2. Trump’s constitutional, institutional, and political agenda
The second part, led by Jonathan Boston, will briefly explore the new administration’s apparent constitutional, institutional and political goals, including those regarding: the role of the executive branch within the US constitution; changes to the federal public service and related institutional arrangements; and the overall responsibilities and size of the federal government.
It will consider the influence of Project 2025 on key policy developments since January 2025, relevant parallels with populist regimes elsewhere in the world, and the possible global implications of the Administration’s broad political agenda.
Jonathan Boston
Jonathan Boston is Emeritus Professor of Public Policy in the School of Government at Victoria University of Wellington. His research interests include comparative government, anticipatory governance, public management, and climate change policy.
Join at Rutherford House Lecture Theatre 3 or online via Zoom.