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.
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