His research interests center on the political institutions of the Roman Republic and Empire and the roles they played in maintaining Roman power over a diverse and multicultural Mediterranean world. His current research focuses on the use of mass media, such as they existed in ancient times, by the Roman governing structures to communicate political messages as part of the means of maintaining control over their vast network of allies and subjects. He is the author of entries on 'states of emergency' and 'senatus consultum ultimum' for the forthcoming ABC-CLIO Encyclopedia of Conflict in Greece and Rome.