What Have We Learned About Oil and Violent Conflict?

May 30, 2014
ME Lecture Hall
1300

Prof. Michael L. Ross

Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles 

Abstract

Hundreds of academic studies have examined the 'resource curse,' meaning the harmful economic and political effects that oil wealth can have on low and middle income countries. This talk will review the evidence that petroleum wealth tends to cause violent rebellions, and discuss the mechanisms that lead to this effect, the conditions that make it more or less likely, and the policy interventions that can mitigate this problem.

Biography

Michael L. Ross is Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His most recent book, The Oil Curse: How Petroleum Wealth Shapes the Development of Nations was named an "Outstanding Academic Title" for 2012 by Choice magazine, and is forthcoming in Russian and Arabic. His work has been published in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The New York Times, Harpers, as well as in leading academic journals. He has served on advisory boards for the World Bank, the United Nations, the National Intelligence Council, and the Revenue Watch Institute.

POC

Dr. Daniel A. Nussbaum
Naval Postgraduate School 
Principal, Energy Academic Group
Monterey CA 93943
Phone: 831-656-2387
Mobile: 831-324-3228
Email: dnussbaum@nps.edu