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Benjamin Moffitt

Senior Lecturer & ARC DECRA Fellow, Australian Catholic University
Benjamin Moffitt is Senior Lecturer in Politics and Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow (2019-2021) at the National School of Arts, ACU (Melbourne). His research is located at the intersection of comparative politics, contemporary political theory and political communications, and focuses on contemporary populism across the globe.

Benjamin joined ACU in 2018. Prior to this, he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Uppsala University and Stockholm University, Sweden. He received his PhD from the University of Sydney in 2014, and his BA (Hons) from the University of Wollongong. He has been a visiting researcher at the WZB (Berlin Social Science Centre) and University of Toronto, and is an associate of the Sydney Democracy Network and Uppsala University's Department of Government.

Benjamin is the author of 'The Global Rise of Populism: Performance, Political Style and Representation' (Stanford University Press, 2016), and numerous articles and chapters on populism in Australia, New Zealand and Western Europe, as well as the theoretical and media-communicative dimensions of populism. These have appeared in journals including Political Studies and Government & Opposition, and in collections such as The Oxford Handbook of Populism. He is currently writing a book on populism and political theory for Polity's 'Key Concepts in Political Theory' series.

Benjamin is also a frequent commentator in the Australian and international press, and his work has appeared in outlets such as The Economist, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Bloomberg News, The Conversation, the ABC, and the BBC World Service. In 2018, Benjamin was named one of ABC's inaugural Top 5 researchers in Humanities and the Social Sciences in Australia.

What actually is populism? And why does it have a bad reputation?

Feb 06, 2019 23:39 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

No doubt thanks to Donald Trump, Brexit, and a string of anti-establishment leaders and parties in Europe, Latin America and Asia, everyone seems to be talking about populism. But populism is nothing new. Its long...

Economy

Gold Price Surges Above $4,100 as Middle East Tensions Boost Safe-Haven Demand

Gold prices extended their rally on Wednesday, climbing above the key $4,100-an-ounce level as investors sought safe-haven assets amid escalating Middle East tensions and growing concerns over global energy supplies....

US Stock Exchanges Face Earnings Test as Trading Boom Meets Crypto Competition

U.S. exchange operators are set to begin reporting quarterly earnings this week, with investors expected to focus on whether strong trading activity can offset mounting concerns over regulatory changes and rising...

India FMCG Q1 Earnings Preview: Higher Input Costs Likely to Weigh on Profit Margins

Indias leading fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies are expected to report weaker first-quarter profit margins as rising raw material costs, driven by the Iran conflict and higher crude oil prices, offset the...

Saudi Oil Tankers Reverse Course as Houthi Threats Disrupt Red Sea Shipping

Two oil tankers carrying Saudi crude to Asia reversed course in the Red Sea after Yemens Iran-backed Houthi movement threatened to target vessels transporting Saudi oil, raising fresh concerns over global energy supplies...

Pakistan Seeks $10 Billion U.S. Exchange Stabilization Fund to Boost Forex Reserves

Pakistan has asked the United States for a $10 billion exchange stabilization facility to strengthen its foreign exchange reserves and reduce pressure on the Pakistani rupee, according to a Reuters report citing a source...

Politics

Rubio Urges Global Isolation of Nicaragua After Ortega Vows to End Elections

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged the international community to increase pressure on Nicaragua after President Daniel Ortega announced that the country would no longer hold elections, a move that has drawn...

US-Backed Pediatric HIV Treatment Drops After Foreign Aid Changes, Study Finds

Around 77,000 fewer children worldwide received HIV treatment supported by the United States in the fiscal year ending October 2025 compared with the previous year, according to research presented at the AIDS 2026...

US, Solomon Islands Deepen Ties as Peace Corps Set to Return After 25 Years

The United States is strengthening its relationship with the Solomon Islands by reviving the Peace Corps program and expanding development assistance, signaling Washingtons continued focus on the strategically important...

US Sends First Humanitarian Aid Flight to Cuba Under $100M Assistance Plan

The United States has launched the first humanitarian aid flight to Cuba under a newly announced $100 million assistance initiative, marking a significant step in Washingtons effort to provide direct relief to the Cuban...

Rubio to Meet Wang Yi as Trump-Xi Summit Plans Advance Amid Election Meddling Dispute

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Manila this week, a key diplomatic engagement that could pave the way for a highly anticipated summit between U.S. President Donald...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Wistron Opens $700M Texas AI Factory to Build Nvidia Superchips in U.S.

Taiwan-based Wistron Corp. (TW:3231), one of Nvidias leading manufacturing partners, has officially opened its first U.S. production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, marking a significant milestone in the expansion of...

Wistron Opens $700M Texas AI Factory to Build Nvidia GB300 Superchips

Taiwan-based Wistron Corp., a major Nvidia supplier, has opened its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas, investing $700 million to expand artificial intelligence infrastructure production as global...

Super Micro Computer Stock Jumps 20% After Record AI Orders and Margin Surge

Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ: SMCI) stock soared about 20% in after-hours trading on Tuesday after the AI server maker released a stronger-than-expected preliminary update for its fiscal fourth quarter, highlighting a...

US, China to Hold AI Talks Ahead of Xi’s September Visit

The United States and China are preparing to hold high-level artificial intelligence (AI) talks in September, marking the first official AI dialogue between the two countries under President Donald Trumps administration....

Morgan Stanley Downgrades Adobe, Workday as AI Transition Raises Growth Concerns

Morgan Stanley adopted a mixed outlook on the software sector on Tuesday, turning bearish on Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE) and Workday (NASDAQ: WDAY) while maintaining an overall positive view of the industry. The investment bank...