Bryan Cranston is a PhD candidate at Swinburne University, and has over two decades of experience working in the higher education sector. Bryan is currently an online politics and history teacher with Swinburne.
PhD THESIS
American Dynasties: A Study of Intergenerational Democratic Success
The United States was born of revolution against a monarchical government, yet despite rebelling against the dynastic rule of the British Empire and being founded upon a beacon of egalitarianism, with the Declaration of Independence stating that all men are created equal, Americans have proved remarkably tolerant of political dynasties. The persistence of political families holding the reins of power in a democratic country raises concerns about imperfections in popular representation. What accounts for the perpetuation of these families throughout the decades? Why are political dynasties so entrenched in American politics? Moreover, what causes one dynasty to ultimately decline, only to have their place taken by another? This project will focus on twelve case study families who have at four successive generations in the direct family line elected to state or federal office. The aim is to document and analyse their experiences and reasons for success in order to identify what is distinctive about these dynasties, and what this ultimately tells us about the value of class merit in American democracy.
QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor of Arts [Central Queensland, 1996]
Graduate Diploma of Cultural Studies [Central Queensland, 2000]
Master of Arts [Macquarie, 2008]
Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Research) [Monash, 2011]
Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching (Higher Education) [Swinburne, 2015]
PUBLICATIONS
Barker-Gale, Jesse, Bryan Cranston, and Tom Clark. ‘Trump “cannot Win Election” after Clinton Wins Debate’. The New Daily. 20 October 2016. thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/2016/10/20/trump-clinton-third-debate/.
Cranston, Bryan. ‘A Critical Analysis of an Interview with the Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly The Hon. Ken Smith, MLA’. Monash University, 2011.
———.‘As the US Presidential Primary Season Begins, Does Iowa Really Matter?’ The Conversation. 29 January 2016. https://theconversation.com/as-the-us-presidential-primary-season-begins-does-iowa-really-matter-52380.
———. ‘Can Donald Trump Win the Election? Here’s the Mathematical Reason Why It’s Impossible for Him to Become President’. The Independent. 7 November 2016. www.independent.co.uk/voices/us-election-will-trump-clinton-win-electoral-college-swing-states-a7402351.html.
———. ‘Clinton-Trump Tied! But Here’s Why You Should Ignore the Polls’. The Conversation. 26 September 2016. https://theconversation.com/clinton-trump-tied-but-heres-why-you-should-ignore-the-polls-66036.
———. ‘Could Clinton Win Utah?’ The Conversation. 20 September 2016. https://theconversation.com/could-clinton-win-utah-65719.
———. ‘Do American Voters Really Have a Say on Election Day?’ The Conversation. 30 October 2016. https://theconversation.com/do-american-voters-really-have-a-say-on-election-day-67857.
———. ‘Donald Trump Makes Disparaging Remarks about Women – in Other Breaking News, Water Is Wet’. SBS News (Australia). 8 October 2016. www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/10/08/comment-trump-makes-disparaging-remarks-about-women-other-breaking-news-water-wet.
———. ‘Examining the Political Influence of Alice Roosevelt Longworth’. Monash University, 2011.
———. ‘Family Ties: Why Political Dynasties Rule in America’s Democracy’. The Conversation (AU). 5 March 2015. https://theconversation.com/family-ties-why-political-dynasties-rule-in-americas-democracy-36487.
———. ‘How Did We Get the Result of the US Election so Wrong?’ The Conversation. 10 November 2016. https://theconversation.com/how-did-we-get-the-result-of-the-us-election-so-wrong-68566.
———. ‘How Is the American President Elected?’ The Conversation. 25 October 2016. https://theconversation.com/how-is-the-american-president-elected-67632.
———. ‘How Will the US Election Affect Australia?’ Swinburne Knowing, Swinburne University of Technology, 8 November 2016. http://knowing.swinburne.edu.au/post/152885933639/how-will-the-us-election-affect-australia.
———. ‘If You Want Someone to Blame for Donald Trump’s Victory, These Are the Voters You Need to Hold to Account’. The Independent. 10 November 2016. www.independent.co.uk/voices/donald-trump-who-voted-for-him-need-to-blame-a7404731.html.
———. ‘Libertarian or Green? What Chances Do Third Parties Have in 2016?’ The Conversation. 29 September 2016. https://theconversation.com/libertarian-or-green-what-chances-do-third-parties-have-in-2016-66276.
———. ‘Race, Gender and the Future of the Republican Party’. The Conversation. 21 October 2016. https://theconversation.com/race-gender-and-the-future-of-the-republican-party-67450.
———. ‘The Illusion of Choice: Why the 2016 Presidential Race Looks like 2000’. The Conversation (US). 5 June 2015. https://theconversation.com/the-illusion-of-choice-why-the-2016-presidential-race-looks-like-2000-42528.
———. ‘Trump Claims the Election Is Rigged – Is It?’ The Conversation. 20 October 2016. https://theconversation.com/trump-claims-the-election-is-rigged-is-it-67388.
———. ‘Unless You Have $500m Spare Don’t Even Try to Run for President – No Wonder Third Party Candidates Are Failing’. The Independent. 3 November 2016. www.independent.co.uk/voices/gary-johnson-jill-stein-third-party-candidates-us-election-a7393961.html.
———. ‘US Election Day Predictions: President, Governors, Senate and House of Representatives’. The Conversation. 7 November 2016. https://theconversation.com/us-election-day-predictions-president-governors-senate-and-house-of-representatives-68340.
———. ‘Want to Know Who Will Win the US Election? Ignore the Polls and Follow the Money’. The Independent. 18 October 2016. www.independent.co.uk/voices/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-campaign-accounts-a7367326.html.
———. ‘Who Won Today’s Vice-Presidential Debate? Does It Matter?’ The Conversation. 5 October 2016. https://theconversation.com/who-won-todays-vice-presidential-debate-does-it-matter-66566.
Cranston, Bryan, Gina Yannitell Reinhardt, and Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg. ‘Super Tuesday Sees Trump and Clinton Triumph: Scholars around the Globe React’. The Conversation. 2 March 2016. https://theconversation.com/super-tuesday-sees-trump-and-clinton-triumph-scholars-around-the-globe-react-55562.
Gillespie, Andra, Bryan Cranston, Inderjeet Parmar, and Marie-Cecile Naves. ‘Iowa Caucus: Scholars around the Globe React’. The Conversation. 3 February 2016. https://theconversation.com/iowa-caucus-scholars-around-the-globe-react-54024.
Hemmer, Nicole, Bryan Cranston, Dennis Altman, and Kumuda Simpson. ‘Clinton and Trump Meet in Final Presidential Debate: Experts Respond’. ABC News (Australia). 20 October 2016. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-20/clinton-trump-third-debate-expert-panel/7950618.
Hemmer, Nicole, Bryan Cranston, David Smith, and Kumuda Simpson. ‘Trump and Clinton Face off in First US Presidential Debate: Experts Respond’. The Conversation. 27 September 2016. https://theconversation.com/trump-and-clinton-face-off-in-first-us-presidential-debate-experts-respond-66124.
Cranston, Bryan. ‘The Electoral College Has Failed America and Democracy in Electing Donald Trump’. The Independent. 20 December 2016. www.independent.co.uk/voices/electoral-college-donald-trump-democracy-founding-fathers-no-mandate-a7486211.html.
Cranston, Bryan. ‘Explainer: What Are Executive Orders? And What Force Do They Have in US Politics?’ The Conversation (AU). 31 January 2017. https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-are-executive-orders-and-what-force-do-they-have-in-us-politics-72088.
RECENT MEDIA INTERVIEWS
Anu, Christine. ‘Interview with Bryan Cranston on the US Presidential Election Result’. Evenings with Christine Anu. Sydney: Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC), 9 November 2016.
Carter, David. ‘Dutton Likely to Deliver Dickson’. UniPoll Watch, 10 June 2016. www.unipollwatch.org.au/electorates/dickson.html.
Carter, David, Alex Catalano, and Breanna Harris. ‘Dutton Defends Detention and Dickson’. UniPoll Watch, 23 May 2016. www.unipollwatch.org.au/candidates/peter-dutton-1.html.
DeMello, Matthew. Bryan Cranston of Swinburne University of Technology Discusses the Likelihood of A ‘faithless Elector’ in #election2016. The Spare Minute, n.d. https://share.sparemin.com/recording-5167.
Kaldawi, Karl, and Bella Buettner. ‘Fringe Candidate out to Educate’. UniPoll Watch, 29 May 2016. www.unipollwatch.org.au/candidates/chris-lahy.html.
Karlsson, Sanna. ‘Politiska dynastier håller hårt i makten (Political dynasties are hard in power)’. Hufvudstadsbladet. 23 August 2015. http://hbl.fi/nyheter/2015-08-23/767486/politiska-dynastier-haller-hart-i-makten.
Killalea, Debra. ‘Hillary Clinton Defeat: What Went Wrong during US Election 2016’. News.com.au. 10 November 2016. www.news.com.au/finance/work/hillary-clinton-defeat-what-went-wrong-during-us-election-2016/news-story/83a3ea757c43e33f37882fec7022d19d.
Mora, Jim. ‘Forget Political Polls It’s about the Money’. The Panel. Radio New Zealand, 20 October 2016. www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thepanel/audio/201820755/forget-political-polls-it’s-about-the-money.
Colangelo, Anthony. ‘President-Elect Donald Trump Told to Accept Russia Hacked Election’. The New Daily. n.d. http://thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/2016/12/12/donald-trump-russian-hacking-cia-evidence/.
‘US States Warn of Chaos If Travel Ban Suspension Lifted: Auskar Surbakti Speaks to Swinburne University US Politics Expert Bryan Cranston about the Court Processes Surrounding the Trump Travel Ban’. ABC News 24. ‘The World’. Melbourne: ABC News 24, 6 February 2017. www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-06/us-states-warn-of-chaos-if-travel-ban-suspension/8246006.
CONFERENCE PAPERS
Cranston, Bryan. ‘Political Dynasties in a Democracy: Why Political Families Exist and Persist in the United States of America’. Poznan, Poland: International Political Science Association, 2016. https://wc2016.ipsa.org/my-ipsa/events/istanbul2016/paper/political-dynasties-democracy-why-political-families-exist-and-per.
Cranston, Bryan. ‘Why Do American Voters Support Political Families’. Melbourne: Swinburne University of Technology, 2015. https://www.swinburne.edu.au/media/swinburneeduau/media-centre/news/current-students/Critical-Encounters-Conference.pdf.
Cranston, Bryan. ‘Will the Real Al Gore Please Stand Up? Name Recognition and the Nature of American Democracy’. University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand: Australia New Zealand American Studies Association, 2014. http://anzasa.org/conference/2014-2/.
Politics & History 