The U.S. Midterms and the World: Transatlantic and Global Perspectives on America's Political Future

The 2026 U.S. midterm elections will shape far more than the balance of power in Washington.

Their consequences will ripple through global markets, transatlantic relations, European security, and the future of the liberal international order. This distinguished panel discussion, presented by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Alumni UK Network and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business UK alumni community, brings together leading voices in politics, economics, and international affairs to examine how America’s domestic political landscape is inseparable from global stability and economic confidence.

For business leaders, investors, policymakers, and internationally minded professionals, understanding what’s at stake in these midterms is essential to navigating an increasingly interconnected geopolitical and economic landscape.

Key Themes

Moving beyond campaign horse-race coverage, our panel will examine the outcome’s real-world implications for governments, markets, institutions, and businesses across Europe and beyond:

• The political landscape: electoral behaviour, polarisation, and the resilience of American democratic institutions
• European security: what the outcome means for NATO, Ukraine, and the continent’s defence posture
• Transatlantic cooperation: the outlook for U.S.–Europe partnership in an era of geopolitical fragmentation
• Markets and fiscal policy: investor confidence, monetary policy, and the global economic outlook
• The liberal international order: the future of multilateral institutions under growing strain

This is a conversation for anyone who needs to understand not just who wins, but what it means for transatlantic cooperation, for institutional trust, and for the decisions business and policy leaders will need to make next.

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Panel & Moderator

Moderator: Edie Lush is an award-winning journalist, events MC, and communication trainer. A UCLA alumna, she hosts events around the world, from Davos to the UN COP Climate Summits. Edie has hosted several podcasts, including Global GoalsCast, produced in collaboration with the United Nations. She has been the Economics and Political Correspondent for Bloomberg Television, a columnist for The Week magazine, and Associate Editor of Spectator Business magazine. She was also a political analyst for UBS in London and New York-based hedge fund Omega Advisors. Through her own business, Edie provides communication training to senior leaders, academics, executives, and influencers, helping them increase their impact in both online and in-person appearances.

Natasha Lindstaedt is Professor of Government at the University of Essex, UK. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where her research focused on democratization. Her research and teaching focus on authoritarian regimes, autocratization, political violence, state failure and human security. She has authored and edited several leading books on authoritarianism, including What Do We Know, What Should We Do About Authoritarian Regimes? She has consulted for the European Union, International IDEA and the United Nations, appeared before the Canadian Parliament, and was cited in the Brazilian Supreme Court trial of Jair Bolsonaro. Dr. Lindstaedt is a Forbes contributor and a frequent commentator on CNN, BBC, France 24 and Al Jazeera.

Dr Jonathan Monten is an Associate Professor in Political Science and Director of the International Public Policy Programme at UCL Political Science. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of international relations, international security, and U.S. foreign policy. His work has appeared in a number of peer-reviewed journals, including International Security, International Studies Quarterly, Security Studies, and Perspectives on Politics. Dr Monten has previously held postdoctoral research fellowships at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University, and the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy at Yale University. He received his PhD from the Department of Government at Georgetown University.

James Mackintosh is Senior Markets Columnist at The Wall Street Journal, where he writes on financial markets, economics and the political and geopolitical forces shaping the global economy. He joined the WSJ in 2016 following almost 20 years at the Financial Times, where he was Investment Editor and writer of the influential Short View column. In 2023, Mackintosh was a Journalist in Residence at the Stigler Center at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he explored the relationship between markets, politics and business. He brings nearly three decades of experience covering markets, finance and the global economy. Mackintosh is a graduate of St Catherine’s College, Oxford, where he earned a first-class degree in Philosophy and Psychology.

Greg Miller is a Foreign Investigative Correspondent for The Washington Post, covering national security and international affairs. A two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Miller was part of the teams honored for reporting on U.S. surveillance programs and Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. He is the author of The Apprentice: Trump, Russia and the Subversion of American Democracy, examining Russia’s interference in U.S. politics and its implications for American democracy. Before joining The Post in 2010, Miller spent over a decade at the Los Angeles Times. He holds a BS from the University of California, Davis, and a master’s degree in journalism from Stanford University.

Alana Moceri is a professor of international relations at IE University’s School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs, a featured analyst at World Politics Review, a columnist at El Español, and a frequent television and radio commentator. She teaches, writes and speaks about international affairs, public leadership and democratic engagement, with expertise in the United States, European Union and Spain. Originally from California, she has lived and worked in Madrid for more than two decades, bringing a distinctive transatlantic perspective to global power and political leadership. She holds a BA in Political Science from UCLA and a master’s in Politics and Democracy from UNED. Before entering academia, she founded and led Democrats Abroad Spain from 2004 to 2009.

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Notes & Policies

This is a high-calibre, moderated discussion with limited capacity. Early booking is recommended.

Dress Code: Business Casual.

Please note that all sales are final on this event. Refunds are unavailable.

Attendees are responsible for their own conduct and personal belongings while attending this event. 

This is a volunteer-organised community event. While we take reasonable steps to provide a safe and welcoming environment, attendees remain responsible for their own conduct. We require all attendees to behave respectfully and adhere to the University of California's Policy on the Conduct of Non-Affiliates. The organisers reserve the right to refuse entry or require any attendee to leave if they breach this policy.

Please note photography will take place at this event. Entry constitutes consent to such, and to any use, in any and all media. 

If you have any questions or would like to not be photographed, please contact the event organisers. 

Questions? Get in touch with Heena Patel (UCLA) and/or Ashley Humphrey (University of Chicago, Booth School of Business)