Energy, the Modern State, and the American World System
Author | : George A. Gonzalez |
Publisher | : State University of New York Press |
Total Pages | : 198 |
Release | : 2018-03-01 |
ISBN-10 | : 9781438469829 |
ISBN-13 | : 1438469829 |
Rating | : 4/5 (829 Downloads) |
Download or read book Energy, the Modern State, and the American World System written by George A. Gonzalez and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2018-03-01 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this provocative and original study, George A. Gonzalez argues that the relationship between energy and the state, as well as global politics, has become more and more deeply intertwined, reaching something of a crescendo with the global hegemony of Pax Americana in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. He presents a clear and concise case for viewing the modern state as the collaborative and affirmative union of capitalism and political authority in a setting where energy resources, be it wind, coal, or oil, provide the basis for the relatively inexpensive projection of political power. More broadly, energy serves as the foundation of the modern economy and, because of this, a prime function of the modern state is ensuring access to cheap, reliable sources to power and grow the economy. Historically, energy is more of a zero-sum resource than capital, markets, labor, or technology, and thus is a greater source of geopolitical tension and violence. Energy politics, and by extension international politics is, moreover, shaped by domestic corporate elites, especially those within the United States.