Post-Soviet Energy Wealth

The issue of oil politics is certainly complex andmulti-faceted. This thesis will focus on analysis ofeconomic development of oil-rich countries, becauseit is one of the broad and important topics due tothe vital role of natural resources for everycountry. In particular, I find it necessary to focuson particular examples of two countries from the sameregion. This thesis seeks to explain why Kazakhstanand Azerbaijan have not had a similar path indeveloping economically regardless of theirsimilarity in abundance of natural resources,undiversified economies, political structures basedon colonial legacies, and types of political regime.It is important to write on this topic becauserelatively little has been written on the issue. Thisthesis uses qualitative method of comparativeanalysis of the development of the oil and gassectors and regime maintenance in Azerbaijan andKazakhstan as a case study.... Mehr