Professor Deese researches the international and comparative politics of energy and climate policies worldwide; the role of reputation and political leadership in international politics; the political economy of international trade; and the interaction of economics and security in US foreign policy. He is currently a Visiting Professor at Yale University and a United States Fulbright Specialist Scholar.

He is the author of The International Political Economy of Trade; Globalization: Causes and Effects; and World Trade Politics: Power, Principles, and Leadership.