Oil, the state, and war : the foreign policies of petrostates

"Petrostates play an outsize role in world affairs. The largest producers of oil and natural gas are wealthy states that translate that wealth into influence. They start more wars and support violent proxies abroad. Oil-rich states prop up the global arms trade, but they also use their wealth for diplomatic and aid purposes. Many assume that petrostates can use their contribution to global oil supply as a weapon, but this is more myth than reality. Emma Ashford provides a comprehensive exploration of the foreign policy capabilities of oil-rich states through qualitative and quantitative analysis and short case studies of the foreign policies of petrostates. At the same time, the book argues that there are different types of petrostates that exhibit vastly different behaviors and capabilities. In exploring the universe of petrostates through a unique typology, this book helps us to better understand the diverse ways in which oil shapes the foreign policy of these states, and, in turn, how they shape the world."