Natural Resources and World Politics

Catalog description

This course examines a central concern of global politics: to what extent do natural resources shape political and social dynamics? The pursuit and extraction of natural resources has been associated with a broad range of political issues from democracy to war. But should resources be invested with such power? How did the global oil market come about? Why do states compete over resources? And what are the costs of these politics? The course pursues these questions through a critical examination of the development of the global fossil fuel industry from its origins in Cleveland, OH in the late 19th century to the 21st century oil producers of the Global South. Current global debates about oil politics will be examined through case studies from North America, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Offered as POSC 371 and POSC 471 . Counts as a Understanding Global Perspectives course.