I am a political economist whose interests explore the relations between economics, culture and politics. Over the years my research agenda has shifted from trying to understand the film and television industry as a model for industrial policy to trying to understand the impact of American culture abroad. My current research explores the economic and political impact of Americanization. I am especially interested in examining the influence of American movies, television shows and new media on politics in other countries. I am also interested in exploring the economic consequences of a decline in cultural diversity. It is my tentative hypothesis that American influence is leading to a reduction in political options in Europe and abroad. I also hypothesize that declining cultural diversity due to American influence reduces opportunities for economic innovation. In order to understand business model for several cultural industries I have already been engaged in participant observation in the film and television industries. I have spent time in film and television production in Hollywood, France, and Australia, working with directors and producers such as the late Sydney Pollack, Oliver Stone and Costa Gavras. I have also done industry and policy interviews in Brussels, Britain, Denmark, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and Korea.