Peter Harris is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Colorado State University, where he currently holds one of CSU's two Gordon and Joan Bishop Professorships. He is also the Associate Chair of the Department of Political Science. Peter is a non-resident fellow with Defense Priorities, a DC-based think tank, and a research fellow with the Modern War Institute at West Point.

Peter's work on US foreign policy mostly addresses the relationship between domestic politics and international affairs. He has a particular interest in "restraint" - the idea that America should pursue a less militaristic approach to the rest of the world. His first book was co-authored with Jared McKinney and is called Deterrence Gap: Avoiding War in the Taiwan Strait. His second book is called Why America Can't Retrench (And How It Might).

Another strand of research focuses on the US military base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands. Peter has studied these topics for 18 years and has published on the Chagos Islands from the perspectives of US military strategy, international law, human rights, and environmental protection.

Peter has published peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Asian Security, International Affairs, Marine Policy, Parameters, Political Science Quarterly, and Review of International Studies. He has won two “best article” awards from scholarly journals. His research has been funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Charles Koch Foundation, and Smith Richardson Foundation.

Peter is committed to public outreach. He has published more than 250 articles and op-eds in popular outlets such as ChinaFile, The Diplomat, National Interest, Survival, War on the Rocks, and World Politics Review. He has submitted evidence to the UK Parliament, briefed an incoming ambassador, facilitated trainings on policy and media engagement for other academics, recorded a dozen podcasts, and been interviewed for local, national, and international media.

Peter is from Wigan in the northwest of England and holds degrees from the University of Edinburgh, SOAS University of London, and the University of Texas at Austin. He is a strong advocate for education-abroad opportunities, having spent time at the University of British Columbia and University of Virginia as an undergraduate.

In Spring 2025, Peter was the CY Tung Scholar on voyage #135 of Semester at Sea.

Past, current, and prospective students should feel encouraged and to get in touch via email.