Domestic politics in the US is undergoing significant change, as is the posture of that country towards the rest of the world. These changes are having significant effects on Ireland and its relations with the US. In her presentation to the IIEA, Trina Vargo suggests ways that bilateral relations can be bolstered and warn that traditional means of influencing US decision-makers are becoming less effective. She also discusses the declining relevance of Irish-America in US politics and the implications of this decline.
About the Speaker:
Trina Vargo founded the US-Ireland Alliance in 1998 and she currently serves as its President. She created the George J. Mitchell Scholarship program and the Oscar Wilde Awards. She served as Senator Edward Kennedy’s foreign policy adviser for more than a decade and advised every Democratic nominee for president from Michael Dukakis through Barack Obama on Irish issues.