Global impact of US election debated in Coventry forum

The closely-fought US presidential race will be the topic of debate at a free open forum at Coventry University on Monday 5th November – on the eve of the election.

American voters are set to make a decision on Tuesday next week that could have significant effects across the globe, both socially and economically.

Monday’s unique roundtable event brings together academic experts on the United States – including from Coventry University’s Department of International Studies and Social Science – to discuss the election campaigns and consider the implications for the world’s political landscape.

The forum aims to examine the key campaign issues that Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have faced – such as healthcare, foreign policy and the economy – and there will also be an opportunity for the audience to ask questions and share their views on the night.

The three speakers leading the debate will be:

    Dr Caroline Page, senior lecturer in international relations, Coventry University. Caroline’s expertise covers US foreign policy and the use of propaganda as a policy instrument;

    Dr Steve Hewitt, senior lecturer in American and Canadian studies, University of Birmingham. Dr Hewitt is an expert on espionage and the ‘War on Terror’;

    Derek William Vallès, PhD candidate in the Department of Government at the London School of Economics and Political Science. His research interests are healthcare, financial reform, social security and taxation.


Andrew Smith, senior lecturer in history at Coventry University, said:

Coventry University is delighted to be hosting this forum, which will bring a number of experts together to share and discuss their views on this influential topic.

Next week’s election matters to all of us. Decisions taken in the White House related to globalisation, the environment and the war on terror have had a major impact on people living in Coventry and the Midlands. Our forum is your chance to participate in a discussion with others who are interested in exploring what this election means for the world.

The forum is free to attend and will be taking place from 7pm in the Goldstein Lecture Theatre in the Alan Berry Building, opposite the cathedral steps. To find out more and to book a place, please contact andrew.smith@coventry.ac.uk.

For further information, please contact Alex Roache, external press and media relations officer, Coventry University, on +44 (0)24 7679 5050 or email alex.roache@coventry.ac.uk.