Deborah Avant

Deborah D. Avant is a professor of political science and director of the international studies program at the University of California, Irvine.

She previously was a professor of political science & international affairs at the George Washington University, where she directed the Institute for Global & International Studies. Her research has focused on the privatization of security, civil-military relations, military change, and the politics of controlling violence. Dr. Avant is the author of The Market for Force: The Consequences of Privatizing Security (Cambridge University Press, 2005) and Political Institutions and Military Change: Lessons from Peripheral Wars (Cornell University Press, 1994), along with numerous journal articles and book chapters. She received her doctorate from the University of California, San Diego.

Click here to view a recent article by Deborah Avant and Lee Sigelman titled "What Does Private Security in Iraq Mean for Democracy at Home?"