Oil, the State, and War with Dr. Emma Ashford | CSS Speaker Series

Oil-rich states are core players in the international system. They are more likely to start wars, and their wealth props up the global arms trade, provides diplomatic leverage, and allows them to support violent and nonviolent proxies.

Yet not all petrostates have the same characteristics or capabilities. Some are oil-dependent (weakened by the resource curse), others are oil-wealthy (made rich by oil exports), and still others are super-producers (forming the backbone of the global oil market). Experts have too often treated oil-rich states as passive objects, subject to the energy security needs of Western importing states.

Join the Center for Security Studies for a conversation about the agency and power enjoyed by petrostates with Emma Ashford, author of the new book Oil, the State, and War: The Foreign Policies of Petrostates.

In-person attendance: Only current Security Studies Program students may attend this event in person. Register via Eventbrite to attend in person.

Virtual attendance: The livestream is open to the public. Automatic live captioning will be provided for virtual attendees. Register via Zoom to attend virtually.

For requests for accommodations due to a disability or medical condition, contact [email protected] no later than Thursday, September 8. A good faith effort will be made to fulfill all accommodation requests.

Emma Ashford is a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, where she works on a variety of issues related to the future of U.S foreign policy, international security, and the politics of global energy markets. She is also a nonresident fellow at the Modern War Institute at West Point, and an adjunct assistant professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. Prior to joining the Stimson Center, Ashford was a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s New American Engagement Initiative, and a research fellow in defense and foreign policy at the Cato Institute. She writes a bi-weekly column, “It’s Debatable,” for Foreign Policy, is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and holds a PhD in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia. Her first book, Oil, the State, and War: The Foreign Policies of Petrostates, was published by Georgetown University Press in 2022.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Hybrid: Car Barn Suite 206, 3520 Prospect Street Northwest, Washington, United States