Description
Many nations that are rich in oil and natural resources are plagued by undemocratic politics, war and civil conflict, corrupt governments, and volatile economies. Scholars have pointed to a "resource curse" as a root of the problem: the notion that valuable natural resources are connected to serious social, political, and economic problems. Entirely missing from the story, however, is an understanding about the role of the public in oil nations--specifically, the attitudes, values, and ideals they hold about important social, political, and economic issues. In Hydrocarbon Citizens, Nimah Mazaheri tells the story of how the discovery of oil dramatically transformed politics and society in the Middle East. He argues that the creation of oil-dependent economies cultivated a new type of citizen in the region: the "hydrocarbon citizen." These citizens hold attitudes, values, and beliefs about their governments and national politics that are very different from what is observed in countries that do not produce oil. Hydrocarbon citizens tend to view their governments as highly effective, generous, helpful, and responsive to the basic needs of society compared to the citizens of countries without oil. Hydrocarbon citizens also tend to be skeptical about the merits of democratization and more likely to believe that democratic governments are ineffective, unstable, and full of problems. Including a rich historical discussion, in-depth analysis of public opinion data, and original surveys conducted among Saudi Arabians and Emiratis, Mazaheri offers a new way of understanding the puzzling "resource curse" that has afflicted mineral-dependent nations around the world. Moreover, he provides a new way of thinking about current politics in the Middle East and explains why some of the region's long-lasting autocracies have been successful in resisting the rise of democracy.
About the Author
Nimah Mazaheri is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Tufts University. His research and teaching are centered in the fields of public policy, political economy, and energy studies. He is the author of Oil Booms and Business Busts: Why Resource Wealth Hurts Entrepreneurs in the Developing World. He held postdoctoral appointments at Princeton University and Harvard University, and has worked as a consultant for international development agencies.
Reviews
In this brilliant new book, Mazaheri masterfully shows how oil wealth affects an overlooked, if not forgotten, group-the average person in an oil-rich country. Using a veritable trove of survey data from the Middle East, Mazaheri paints an intricate and empirically rigorous portrait of this 'hydrocarbon citizen' to show how oil wealth creates positive attitudes of government and fosters reduced criticism of rulers. This book is essential reading for anyone looking to understand the deep micro-level impacts of oil, as well as how citizens in oil-rich states will ultimately confront the clean energy transition. * Paasha Mahdavi, author of Power Grab: Political Survival through Extractive Resource Nationalization *
We have a wealth of studies of the macrostructural consequences of oil for democratic regimes, economic growth, civil wars, and state institutions. Until now, we have suffered a dearth of studies at the micro-level, especially the political attitudes of citizens of oil states. Nimah Mazaheri's work demonstrates that hydrocarbon citizens in the Middle East are on average more likely to rate government performance positively and less likely to value democracy. These attitudes, which vary according to demographic features of subgroups, follow directly from three features of oil wealth: its volatility, its geographic concentration in remote areas leading to direct control by the state, and the history of nationalist struggle against foreign control and exploitation. Hydrocarbon Citizens is a major contribution to our understanding of Middle East politics. * David A. Waldner, author of State-Building and Late Development and Rethinking the Resource Curse *
Oil wealth can be a mixed blessing for a nation's political economy. Focusing on everyday individuals in these societies, Mazaheri meticulously studies the attitudes of 'hydrocarbon citizens'. Notably, the typical hydrocarbon citizen is more likely to hold negative views towards democracy; an insight that has profound implications for the possibility of democratic reforms in many Middle Eastern societies. This is a must read for scholars of the Middle East, natural resources, democracy, and public opinion. * Faisal Z. Ahmed, author of The Perils of International Capital *
In a masterful use of statistical techniques, including ordered logistic models, Mazaheri shows that hydrocarbon citizens, notably those employed in government ministries, are more loyal consumers of various services than inhabitants of other Arab states and are less enthusiastic about democracy. * Choice *
Book Information
ISBN 9780197636725
Author Nimah Mazaheri
Format Hardback
Page Count 264
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 1g
Dimensions(mm) 162mm * 240mm * 23mm
About the Author
Nimah Mazaheri is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Tufts University. His research and teaching are centered in the fields of public policy, political economy, and energy studies. He is the author of Oil Booms and Business Busts: Why Resource Wealth Hurts Entrepreneurs in the Developing World. He held postdoctoral appointments at Princeton University and Harvard University, and has worked as a consultant for international development agencies.
Reviews
In this brilliant new book, Mazaheri masterfully shows how oil wealth affects an overlooked, if not forgotten, group-the average person in an oil-rich country. Using a veritable trove of survey data from the Middle East, Mazaheri paints an intricate and empirically rigorous portrait of this 'hydrocarbon citizen' to show how oil wealth creates positive attitudes of government and fosters reduced criticism of rulers. This book is essential reading for anyone looking to understand the deep micro-level impacts of oil, as well as how citizens in oil-rich states will ultimately confront the clean energy transition. * Paasha Mahdavi, author of Power Grab: Political Survival through Extractive Resource Nationalization *
We have a wealth of studies of the macrostructural consequences of oil for democratic regimes, economic growth, civil wars, and state institutions. Until now, we have suffered a dearth of studies at the micro-level, especially the political attitudes of citizens of oil states. Nimah Mazaheri's work demonstrates that hydrocarbon citizens in the Middle East are on average more likely to rate government performance positively and less likely to value democracy. These attitudes, which vary according to demographic features of subgroups, follow directly from three features of oil wealth: its volatility, its geographic concentration in remote areas leading to direct control by the state, and the history of nationalist struggle against foreign control and exploitation. Hydrocarbon Citizens is a major contribution to our understanding of Middle East politics. * David A. Waldner, author of State-Building and Late Development and Rethinking the Resource Curse *
Oil wealth can be a mixed blessing for a nation's political economy. Focusing on everyday individuals in these societies, Mazaheri meticulously studies the attitudes of 'hydrocarbon citizens'. Notably, the typical hydrocarbon citizen is more likely to hold negative views towards democracy; an insight that has profound implications for the possibility of democratic reforms in many Middle Eastern societies. This is a must read for scholars of the Middle East, natural resources, democracy, and public opinion. * Faisal Z. Ahmed, author of The Perils of International Capital *
In a masterful use of statistical techniques, including ordered logistic models, Mazaheri shows that hydrocarbon citizens, notably those employed in government ministries, are more loyal consumers of various services than inhabitants of other Arab states and are less enthusiastic about democracy. * Choice *
Book Information
ISBN 9780197636725
Author Nimah Mazaheri
Format Hardback
Page Count 264
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 1g
Dimensions(mm) 162mm * 240mm * 23mm
