Peter Feaver
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Peter Douglas Feaver (born December 17, 1961) is an American
political scientist Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...
. He is currently a professor of political science and public policy at
Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...
and a civil-military relations scholar. Feaver has served as director of the Triangle Institute for Security Studies since 1999, and founded Duke University's Program in American Grand Strategy. He served in the George W. Bush administration, where he served as a special advisor for strategic planning and institutional reform on the
National Security Council A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a n ...
. Prior to working on the National Security Council of George W. Bush, he served as director for defense policy and arms control at the National Security Council during the Clinton administration. He was also a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve.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 County, Pennsylvania, Northampton and Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Bethle ...
. His father was a professor of classics at
Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU), in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, is a private university, private research university. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer. Lehigh University's undergraduate programs have been mixed ...
and later a
Youth With a Mission Youth With A Mission (typically shortened YWAM, generally pronounced ) is an interdenominational Christian mission organization with a focus on missionary work and training for Christian missions. Founded by American missionary Loren Cunningha ...
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, where he graduated summa cum laude in international relations in 1983. He obtained a A.M from
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
in 1986 and a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University in 1990. His dissertation at Harvard was "Guarding the Guardians: Civil-Military Relations and the Control of Nuclear Weapons." Samuel Huntington, Ashton Carter, and Joseph Nye were all on his dissertation committee, which Nye chaired.


Career

Feaver's is a professor at
Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...
, where he writes on civil-military relations, American foreign policy, American defense policy, nuclear operations, nuclear proliferation, information warfare, and international relations theory. He also served in the administrations of
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
and
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
and has consulted 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 University 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 A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a n ...
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 and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
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 and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
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 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 from 1984 to 1986."The Harvard Din and Tonics." Alumni. The Harvard Din and Tonics. Web. 23 Jan 2013. <>.


Notes


External links


Feaver's biography
at
Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

Feaver's blog
at ForeignPolicy.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Feaver, Peter D. 1961 births Living people American political scientists Duke University faculty Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Lehigh University alumni Liberty High School (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) alumni North Carolina Republicans United States presidential advisors