Publication date:
26 November 2012Length of book:
162 pagesPublisher
Lexington BooksISBN-13: 9780739169759
Oil Supply Crises: Cooperation and Discord in the West, by Vessela Chakarova, offers the most comprehensive, up-to-date analysis of consumer countries’ policies and reactions to oil supply shortages. In addition to being a valuable source of information on oil market dynamics, it provides a deep theoretical understanding of one of the most critical issues in international relations: inter-state cooperation.
This volume employs a structured, focused comparison to study European consumer countries’ cooperation in times of oil supply shortages. There have been fifteen such crises since the Second World War, three of which with dramatic consequences for the world economy. This analysis evaluates European cooperative efforts in seven of these cases, starting with the Abadan crisis in 1951. The cases are selected on the basis of their magnitude and economic impact. In particular, the study looks at intergovernmental negotiations within existing international bodies prior to, during, and immediately after the crisis. This study suggests that institutions are more likely to facilitate interstate cooperation in the presence of a strong leader—a role, which in the case of oil was assumed by the United States until the early 1970s. Cooperation in the oil issue-area has been the subject of only a few studies, none of which provides a systematic and comprehensive analysis. They are also limited in their scope and findings. Oil Supply Crises fills a significant gap in the literature on oil supply shortages and cooperation.
This volume employs a structured, focused comparison to study European consumer countries’ cooperation in times of oil supply shortages. There have been fifteen such crises since the Second World War, three of which with dramatic consequences for the world economy. This analysis evaluates European cooperative efforts in seven of these cases, starting with the Abadan crisis in 1951. The cases are selected on the basis of their magnitude and economic impact. In particular, the study looks at intergovernmental negotiations within existing international bodies prior to, during, and immediately after the crisis. This study suggests that institutions are more likely to facilitate interstate cooperation in the presence of a strong leader—a role, which in the case of oil was assumed by the United States until the early 1970s. Cooperation in the oil issue-area has been the subject of only a few studies, none of which provides a systematic and comprehensive analysis. They are also limited in their scope and findings. Oil Supply Crises fills a significant gap in the literature on oil supply shortages and cooperation.
Studies about oil crises usually concentrate on their causes and repercussions on importing states. This welcome book focuses on a neglected aspect of oil politics: the modes of cooperation among Western oil importers during times of crisis in the major producing countries. Chakarova examines this issue through seven case studies drawn from the period 1951-91; her framework delineates the theoretical differences between "neorealist" and "neoliberal" approaches. Each crisis is dissected in depth. Considerable information is provided in this volume. This study should be highly useful to practitioners since it delves into governmental tactics used to cope with crises. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Professional collections.