A Tällberg seminar on the state of the United States. We discussed the upcoming presidential elections, looked at the policy alternatives and analyzed the campaigns. The Republican candidates seem weak and their party is torn between different groups, but the Obama campaign risks getting caught between short-term political positioning and a broader more visionary ambition. And will President Obama be able to carry the Democratic Party with him to retake Congress? At the same time, the massive and unregulated inflow of private and corporate money into the campaigns (through the so-called Super-PACs) is changing the game.

Beyond this, we also reflected on the kind of US that is emerging: the economic recovery seems to be underway and the American innovation powerhouse is still going strong. But deep divisions in the country are not being healed and the political system (especially decision-making in Washington DC) is increasingly dysfunctional.

To our help, we had Alan Stoga, a New York based strategist and analyst (former Managing Director of Kissinger Associates), as well as other guests and Tällberg Foundation analysts and facilitation. For medical reasons, Alan had to cancel his trip to Sweden at the last minute, but he joined on a live video link from New York.

Contributors:
Alan Stoga (President, Zemi Communications, New York)
Anna Jardfelt Melvin (Head of Swedish Institute of International Affairs, Stockholm)
Richard Feigin (Digital and Social media Specialist, Stockholm), and from the Tällberg Foundation, Alexander Crawford (Research Director)
James F. Wine (Senior Advisor)

Thanks to our event sponsor: