with Tyson Barker,

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Europe Center, Atlantic Council

 

and Dr. Samina Sultan,

Senior Economist, German Economic Institute

 

moderated by

Senior Lecturer, North American Studies Program, University of Bonn

 

The U.S. midterm elections are approaching at a time of great economic uncertainty. Energy and gas prices have surged amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, rising production costs are putting renewed pressure on businesses, and affordability remains the central concern for voters across the country. Rapid advances in artificial intelligence are fueling a major investment and infrastructure boom, supporting economic growth while also raising questions about energy demand and the future of employment. At the same time, the expansion of U.S. tariffs and increasing trade tensions are reshaping global supply chains and economic relations with key partners, including across the Atlantic.

How will concerns about the cost of living shape voters’ choices in this year’s midterms? How have the Trump administration’s economic policies evolved from campaign promises to implementation? How are they affecting different sectors, income groups, and regions across the United States? And what are the implications of the administration’s trade and tariff policies for transatlantic economic relations?

We will discuss these and further questions with:

 

Tyson Barker is a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center. His work focuses on US-EU relations, economic statecraft, and tech policy. He has served at the State Department in various senior positions in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs from 2014 to 2015 and from 2023 to 2025, most recently as deputy special representative for Ukraine’s economic recovery. Previously, Barker served as the founding head of the Technology and Foreign Policy Program at the German Council on Foreign Relations. He previously worked at Aspen Germany, where, as deputy executive director and fellow, he was responsible for the institute’s digital and transatlantic programs. His writing has been published in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Politico, the Atlantic, and Der Spiegel. Barker has a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

 

 

PD Dr. Jan Logemann is a Senior Lecturer and Program Coordinator for the M.A. North American Studies at the University of Bonn. He is an economic historian whose teaching and research focus on U.S.-American economic history and transatlantic business relations. From 2009-2014, he directed a research project at the German Historical Institute in Washington, D.C., and since has taught at the Universities of Göttingen and Glasgow. He holds an M.A. in history from Humboldt University Berlin and received his PhD from the Pennsylvania State University.

 

 

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The venue is wheelchair accessible. Please contact us prior to the event for further instructions.

 

 

This event is held in cooperation with the North American Studies Program at the University of Bonn. It is kindly supported by the State Government of North Rhine-Westphalia.