Peter Andreas

Peter Andreas is the John Hay Professor of International Studies. He joined the Institute in the fall of 2001, and holds a joint appointment with the Department of Political Science. Previously, Andreas was an academy scholar at Harvard University, a research fellow at the Brookings Institution, and an SSRC-MacArthur Foundation Fellow on International Peace and Security. He holds an MA and PhD in government from Cornell University and a BA in political science from Swarthmore College.

Andreas is the author, co-author, or co-editor of eleven books. These include Smuggler Nation: How Illicit Trade Made America (Oxford University Press, 2013, selected by Amazon and by Foreign Affairs as one of the best books of the year), Blue Helmets and Black Markets: The Business of Survival in the Siege of Sarajevo (Cornell University Press, 2008); Policing the Globe: Criminalization and Crime Control in International Relations (Oxford University Press, 2006); and Border Games: Policing the U.S.-Mexico Divide (Cornell University Press, 2000, 2nd ed 2009, 3rd ed 2021). He has also written a political memoir, Rebel Mother: My Childhood Chasing the Revolution (Simon & Schuster, 2017, selected by Foreign Affairs as a best book of the year). His most recent book, Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs (Oxford University Press, 2020), explores the relationship between warfare and mind altering substances, from ancient times to the present.

Andreas has also written for a wide range of scholarly and policy publications, including International Security, International Studies Quarterly, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The New Republic, Harper's, Slate, Time Magazine, and The Nation. Other writings include congressional testimonies and op-eds in major newspapers, such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, and The Guardian.

Research

Andreas' research bridges the study of security, political economy, and transnational crime. He is especially interested in the clandestine dimensions of globalization, involving illicit cross-border flows of people, goods, money and information. He traces the interaction between states and illicit flows across time and place, focusing particularly on the practice and politics of government policing efforts along and across borders.

Current Projects

Publications

"Crime, Violence, and Illicit Economies in Regional and Global Perspective," Perspectives on Politics (Vol. 17, No. 2, 2019)

"Drugs and War: What is the Relationship?" Annual Review of Political Science (2019)

"Border Collision" (with N. Brigden), in Katzenstein and Seybert, eds. Protean Power: Exploring the Unexpected in World Politics, Cambridge University Press, 2018

Teaching

News|Recent News

Southern Border Crisis: Where Is Kamala Harris? (commentary by Peter Andreas)

April 2, 2021 The National Interest

Peter Andreas provided commentary in this article on the Mexico border crisis and Kamala Harris' new role.

- It was like fighting zombies, the soldier says. Only when he shot the enemy in the head did they fall over. (Peter Andreas cited)

March 3, 2021 Aftenposten (in Norwegian)

This article cites Peter Andreas' book, Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs.

Drugs in War: How armies arm their soldiers against fear, fatigue and weakness (Peter Andreas cited)

July 18, 2020 NZZamSonntag (in German)

This article cites Peter Andreas' book, Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs.

Border Report: Officials Hope Border Travel Restrictions Protect 'the Greater Good' (Peter Andreas cited)

March 24, 2020 Voice of San Diego

This article references a paper by Peter Andreas.

Andreas talks war and drugs (interview with Peter Andreas)

March 9, 2020 The Heights (Boston College)

Peter Andreas visited Boston College to deliver a lecture on the role drugs have played in shaping world history, especially with regard to warfare.

The Trump administration wants to shut down vaping? 100 years ago, the government urged soldiers to smoke. (written by Peter Andreas)

February 28, 2020 The Washington Post

In this piece, Peter Andreas draws comparison between the way tobacco was viewed a century ago versus today - while making reference to his new book, Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs. Andreas specifically highlights the role addiction played throughout times of war - especially during World War I.

How World War II got Japan and the US hooked on amphetamines, ‘the ultimate military performance enhancing drug’ (written by Peter Andreas)

February 24, 2020 Post Magazine

In this excerpt of Peter Andreas' book Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs, Andreas recounts how a post-war surplus of the drug caused addiction epidemics to unfold on both sides of the Pacific.

People

Biography