About
Peter Liberman is a professor of Political Science at Queens College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), with a career spanning over two decades. His academic roles include Deputy Executive Officer of the MA/Ph.D. Program in Political Science at CUNY (2006–7, 2015–present) and prior positions at Tulane University.
- Education: Ph.D. in Political Science from MIT (1992), BA in Philosophy from Reed College (1984)
Liberman's research focuses on international security, military occupation, and the intersection of emotion and foreign policy. His work on retribution in U.S. public and elite attitudes analyzes how revenge and anger influence support for military action, as seen in studies related to the Iraq War and post-9/11 policy. Additional areas include nuclear proliferation (notably South Africa's nuclear history) and critical thinking pedagogy.
His 15 most recent articles (2001–2025) explore topics such as:
- War and Retribution: Psychological redirection of anger toward Iraq post-9/11
- Economic Exploitation: Historical case studies of Germany, Japan, and Soviet-controlled Europe
- Nuclear Nonproliferation: South Africa's disarmament and Israeli-South African nuclear ties
- Public Opinion Dynamics: Emotional responses to terrorism, punitiveness in foreign policy
Scientific Awards & Grants:
- National Science Foundation (NSF) funding for retribution and public opinion studies
- Carnegie Corporation and Ploughshares Fund grants for South African nuclear history research
- Mellon Residential Fellowship in the Humanities (2010–11)
- Multiple PSC-CUNY Research Awards
Liberman contributes to academic discourse as an Adjunct Research Scholar at Columbia University’s Saltzman Institute and through editorial roles at International Security and Security Studies. His work integrates political psychology, historical analysis, and survey experimentation, with ongoing projects on post-terrorism emotional responses and foreign policy justification.
