Education

2013 University of South Florida, M.A.

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Courses Taught

World History Since 1500
US History to 1877
US History Since 1877

Career Specialties

Ronald Arbisi is particularly interested in how the covert war-fighting and counterinsurgency doctrines and methods developed by the U.S. to fight the Soviets abroad during the Cold War were integrated into peacetime domestic policy, especially law enforcement, for the purpose of fighting the War on Drugs.  

Professional and Community Activities

Arbisi's research activity has focused on why, for all of the billions spent, millions incarcerated and thousands killed, did the so-called "War on Drugs" fail to achieve its stated goals? To this end, his recent research has focused on the consumerist aspect of the war, in which a highly adaptive industry fought to negate state authority through market activity, and eventually succeeded.

Arbisi has deep roots in the community. His family has been in the Tampa Bay area for more than 300 years, and his maternal grandfather worked on the Plant Hotel. He has regularly lectured and taught for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and the Tampa Downtown Partnership, and support a variety of charitable, environmental and political causes.