Research interests

I have a broad range of interests, but most of my work to date lies at the intersection of international organization, international law, and international political economy. Somewhat coincidentally, that work has focused in particular on the illicit political economy. I’ve published on maritime piracy as a case of the challenges of governance in a regime complex, on counter-terrorism financing and counter-WMD proliferation as cases of experimentalist governance, and on the potential use of anti-money laundering techniques to fight maritime piracy. It’s through my work on counter-WMD proliferation that I have come to co-direct (with William Boettcher) the NCSU/TISS Energy and Security Initiative, which aims to promote innovative thinking about the ways in which changes in the global energy supply chain (including consumption) affect national and human security. Finally, in a different vein, I also work occasionally with colleagues at NC State and at the University of Sao Paulo on comparative studies of public opinion regarding trade and its influence of that public opinion on trade policy.

Currently, most of my research time is spent on two broad topics. The first is the evolution of international anti-money laundering standards and the role of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) in that evolution. Related projects include an article that interrogates the common argument that material enforcement of AML standards has been an important driver of state compliance. I’m also developing that research into a book manuscript. The second, with Bryan Early and Patrick Cottrell, is on a comprehensive evaluation of UNSCR 1540, focusing in particular on the mechanisms of change at play. The two projects overlap in that FATF now plays a role in the financial side of 1540’s counter-WMD efforts.