Evidence from Russian Energy Sanctions

Nov 25, 2020

Abstract

Energy is crucial to both the Russian Federation and the United States, and both countries utilize it in their foreign policy. Despite the wealth of literature arguing that sanctions are ineffective and cause more harm to the implementing economy, the United States chose to implement energy sanctions…

Jay La Plante

Nov 25, 2020

Acknowledgments and Dedication

Acknowledgments

The present study would not have been possible without the support of the faculty and staff of the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Business Administration. I appreciated the opportunity to conduct an independent…

Introduction

Jay La Plante

Nov 26, 2020

Introduction

Hydrocarbons have been central to Russian economic development following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Aided by foreign direct investment from North America and Western Europe, the Russian energy sector began to modernize during the turbulent 1990s and liberalize as a result of the…

Jay La Plante

Nov 26, 2020

Hypothesis

Russian sanctions in the period 2012–2018 offered a clear laboratory to explore the relationship that business interests have on the broader political agenda. It is worth noting that U.S. academics and the foreign policy establishment have long held that economic sanctions are not beneficial to public policy…

Jay La Plante

Nov 26, 2020

Significance

Despite the prevalence of investment theory literature, there is a virtual gap in the literature concerning the influence of the energy sector on the development of public policy in the United States — with the notable exception of foreign policy toward the Mossadegh government in Iran (Abrahamian, 2013…

Jay La Plante

Nov 26, 2020

Delimitations and Limitations

Delimitations

Literature Review

Jay La Plante

Nov 29, 2020

Lit Review: International Relations Theory

No analysis of U.S. foreign policy can begin without a discussion of the two dominant paradigms of international relations (IR) theory: liberalism and realism. These two schools of thought have governed U.S. public policy over the last century, with each…

Jay La Plante

Nov 29, 2020

Lit Review: United States Foreign Policy — Sanctions

With the understanding that Russian sanctions represent a real-world application of domestic IR theory under the realism paradigm, it was possible to begin to explore perspectives on U.S. foreign policy in the preceding period to the…

Jay La Plante

Nov 29, 2020

Lit Review: United States Foreign Policy — Energy Policy

Jay La Plante

Nov 28, 2020

Lit Review: Investment Theory — Personal Financial Interests

As was previously established, domestic IR theory posits that all foreign policy begins as domestic policy, which gives rise to the influence of special interest groups through the iron triangle concept. This concept, first…

Jay La Plante

Nov 28, 2020

Lit Review: Investment Theory — Critical Realignments and Elections

The second key relationship that can be explored is that of policymakers and firm contributions. Major studies have demonstrated positive relationships between firm donations and policymaking that benefit the…

Jay La Plante

Nov 28, 2020

Lit Review: Business Conflict Model

The third relationship that can be explored is that of firms and public policy itself, either in coordination with policymakers or despite them. This relationship is defined as the business conflict model in which business interests use their clout and structural…

Jay La Plante

Nov 27, 2020

Lit Review: Business Conflict Model — Case Study: Hawai’i and Sugarcane

The Hawai’ian archipelago lies about halfway between the Pacific North American and Asian coastlines and has been a possession of the United States since the late-nineteenth century. At the time of its…

Jay La Plante

Nov 27, 2020

Lit Review: Business Conflict Model — Case Study: Iran and Oil

Petroleum production did not exist in Iran before the British expressed interest in obtaining the rights to explore in the late-nineteenth century. Despite the size and scope of the British Empire, petroleum was not found…

Jay La Plante

Nov 27, 2020

Lit Review: Business Conflict Model — Case Study: Chile, Copper, Pepsi, and Telecommunications

On December 2, 1823, President Monroe addressed the U.S. Congress and issued what became known as “the Monroe Doctrine,” in which he declared the neutrality of the…