America has no Better Friend than Australia? An Analysis of the US-Australia Alliance.

Should Australia's relationship with the United States sensibly be called the other "special relationship", implying that Australia, along with Great Britain, is one of America?s two most favored allies? Or into the future will "the mission define the coalition", making Australia favored as long as it commits troops to American-led operations? Do most Australians see their nation's alliance relationship and broader bilateral relations with the United States as special? To address these questions two competing narratives regarding the history of Australian involvement in US-led wars will be examined. The first narrative asserts that the shared wartime experiences of the two nations have cemented the bond between them. The second narrative views this history as one of Australia continually undermining its own independence. Finally to measure the strength and depth of pro- and anti-American sentiment in Australia, these narratives will be discussed in the context of contemporary public opinion on US-Australia relations. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]