Jim Arkedis is the Director for the Progressive Policy Institute's National Security Project, which fosters the integration of sound security strategies and the campaign trail. Prior to joining the PPI, Arkedis was a counterterrorism and security analyst for five years at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, specializing in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. In that capacity he produced daily threat analysis on Islamic extremist trends, intents, and capabilities vis-a-vis the Department of Defense. He received a Masters degree in European Studies and International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in 2002 following a BA from the University of Notre Dame.