Peter Feaver
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Peter Douglas Feaver (born December 17, 1961) is an American professor of
political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
and public policy at Duke University. He is known for his scholarship on civil-military relations. Feaver has served as the director of the Triangle Institute for Security Studies since 1999, and founded the Duke Program in American Grand Strategy. In 2007 he returned from service in the Bush administration, where he served as a special advisor for strategic planning and institutional reform on the National Security Council. Prior to working on the National Security Council of George W. Bush, Feaver served as director for defense policy and arms control at the National Security Council during the Clinton administration. He was also a
lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding ran ...
in the
U.S. Naval Reserve The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2005, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called Reservists, are categorized as being in either the Se ...
.Feaver, Peter. "Peter Douglas Feaver Curriculum Vitae." Duke University, 12 Dec 2010


Early life and education

Feaver was born in
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bethlehem is a city in Northampton and Lehigh Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bethlehem had a total population of 75,781. Of this, 55,639 were in Northampton County and 19, ...
. His father was a professor of classics at
Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU) is a private research university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer and was originally affiliated with the Epi ...
and later a Youth With a Mission missionary at the University of the Nations. His mother was a homemaker. He graduated from Liberty High School in Bethlehem in 1979. Feaver attended
Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU) is a private research university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer and was originally affiliated with the Epi ...
, where he graduate summa cum laude in international relations in 1983. He obtained a A.M from
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
in 1986 and a
Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
in political science from Harvard in 1990. His dissertation at Harvard was "Guarding the Guardians: Civil-Military Relations and the Control of Nuclear Weapons." Samuel Huntington,
Ashton Carter Ashton Baldwin Carter (September 24, 1954 – October 24, 2022) was an American government official and academic who served as the 25th United States Secretary of Defense from February 2015 to January 2017. He later served as director of the Be ...
, and
Joseph Nye Joseph Samuel Nye Jr. (born January 19, 1937) is an American political scientist. He and Robert Keohane co-founded the international relations theory of neoliberalism, which they developed in their 1977 book ''Power and Interdependence''. Togethe ...
were all on his dissertation committee, which Nye chaired.


Career

Feaver's primary and current employment has been as a professor of Duke University, where he writes on civil-military relations, American foreign policy, American defense policy, nuclear operations, nuclear proliferation, information warfare, and international relations theory. In addition to his work at Duke and in the administrations of
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
and
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
, Feaver consults with various policy think tanks and research organizations. Feaver also co-moderates the Shadow Government Blog of ForeignPolicy.com.Feaver, Peter. Shadow Government: Notes from the Loyal Opposition. Foreign Policy, n. d. Web. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. . He arrived at Duke in 1991, received tenure in 1998, was promoted to full professor in 2003, and then was the Alexander F. Hehmeyer Professor of Political Science and Public Policy from 2004 to 2009. Feaver's government positions include serving on the National Security Council staffs of two different U.S. presidential administrations. He served as the director for defense policy and arms control from 1993 to 1994 under the
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
administration and was special advisor for strategic planning and institutional reform from 2005 to 2007 under the
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
administration. During his time on Bush's NSC, he was involved in several Iraq strategy reviews, including one that led to the 2007 surge strategy.Bush, George. Decision Points. New York: Random House, 2010. Feaver is among the national security leaders who signed the March 2, 2016 "Never Trump" open letter. As a professor, Feaver has been the recipient of several teaching awards. In 2001 he received the Duke Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award. He also received the 1994–1995 Trinity College Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award and was nominated for the Trinity College Distinguished Teaching Award for 1992–1993 and 1994–1995. He received the Harvard Certificate of Distinction in Teaching for 1985–1986 and 1986–1987 and a Navy Commendation Medal in 1994. He was a visiting professor of strategic studies at the
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies The S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) is an autonomous graduate school in Singapore, and policy-oriented think tank within the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Founded in 1996 as the Institute of Defence and Strategic S ...
in 2011.


Publications

Feaver is the author or co-author of five books, including ''Getting the Best Out of College: A Professor, A Dean, and a Student Tell You How to Maximize Your Experience'' (2012) , ''Paying the Human Costs of War'' (2009) ,'' Choosing Your Battles: American Civil-Military Relations and the Use of Force'' (2004) , ''Armed Servants: Agency, Oversight, and Civil-Military Relations'' (2004) , and ''Guarding the Guardians: Civilian Control of Nuclear Weapons in the United States'' (1992) . His most recent academic publications or co-publications include "Brass Politics: How Retired Military Officers are Shaping Elections" (November 2012), "Military Campaigns: Veterans Endorsements and Presidential Elections" (October 2012), and "American Grand Strategy At the Crossroads: Leading from the Front, Leading From Behind, or Not Leading at All" (May 2012).Peter D. Feaver
Professor of Political Science, Director, Triangle Institute for Security Studies and Director, Program in American Grand Strategy. Duke Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University. Accessed 7 January 2020.


Personal life

Feaver is married with three children and attends Blacknall Presbyterian Church. He sang in the
Harvard Din & Tonics The Harvard Din & Tonics (or "the Dins") are a signature, five-part jazz a cappella group from Harvard University, founded in 1979. History The group was founded in April 1979 as a public service project of the Phillips Brooks House Associat ...
from 1984 to 1986."The Harvard Din and Tonics." Alumni. The Harvard Din and Tonics. Web. 23 Jan 2013. <>.


Notes


External links


Feaver's Duke homepage

Feaver's current blog at ForeignPolicy.com

Bush's Iraq speech echoes a new voice
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', December 4, 2005
Bush Words Reflect Public Opinion Strategy
''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...
'', June 30, 2005 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Feaver, Peter D. 1961 births Living people Duke University faculty Liberty High School (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) alumni American political scientists United States presidential advisors Lehigh University alumni Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni North Carolina Republicans