2
Theoretical Framework
The issue of energy security is important in the current era at both the national and
global level. An energy-oriented approach to security prioritizes availability, acceptability, and accessibility of energy resources and emphasizes the importance of physically protecting exploration, development, production, transmission, conversion,
distribution, marketing, and consumption facilities against any kind of attack (www.
akademikperspektif.com 2012). With the development of the US’ industrialization
process causing a rise in the need for foreign energy resources, oil and gas- rich regions
were thus marked as geopolitically significant, with the need to maintain security in
supply regions gaining the utmost importance. Given energy security and access to
energy resources could guarantee the well-being of the American electorate through
the maintenance of satisfactory economic, industrial, agricultural, and trade conditions, as expected the US State Department formed its own Undersecretary role for
Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment in order to dedicate resources to this
strategy (www.state.gov 2017a, b). The very creation of this authority demonstrates the
weight the US Government attaches to the question of energy in its foreign relations.
Essentially, the US has always pursued policies, and displayed commitment to actions,
to ensure global energy security and access to energy for its enterprises and citizens.
Energy resources are important elements for government power, in which each
state has more resources than other governments. Of course, energy resources are
capabilities that, if a government can properly extract them and use them properly,
will increase the power of the state. Looking at energy sources as the material elements of power will produce, as some scholars have claimed, the speculation that
energy sources in the field of foreign relations should be analyzed using two theories of realism and idealism. “Realists stress that historically it is clear that some
commodities, and in particular energy resources, mineral resources, water, and
food, have a strategic value beyond their market price, say Left and Kereen. As a
result, these resources have been used consistently as foreign policy tools by exporters and have been used as a source of armed conflict” (Luft and Korin 2009:340).
Hans Morgenthau, the founder of modern realism, emphasizes that in international relations, the armed forces are considered to be a threat. In addition, it is also
regarded as the most important factor constituting the power of a state. This generates the notion that, in modern realism, military force is not the sole factor of the
material power of the state and is only considered as the most crucial constituent in
the formation of power. Morgenthau takes note of other factors that are constituents
of power, including “Geography, Natural Resources, Military Preparedness,
National Spirit, Industrial Capacity, Population, Government and the Quality of
Diplomacy” (Sutch and Elias 2007:49).
Energy is the most fungible power of the current international system and also
energy resources are classified as physical realities in the land controlled by the state,
which have a profound impact on a country’s industrial capacity, but, according to
modern realism, all elements of power are in the midst of the military power of the
country. They analyze their analysis according to their role or weakening of the military capacity.
1 Theoretical Framework
Theoretical Framework
The issue of energy security is important in the current era at both the national and
global level. An energy-oriented approach to security prioritizes availability, acceptability, and accessibility of energy resources and emphasizes the importance of physically protecting exploration, development, production, transmission, conversion,
distribution, marketing, and consumption facilities against any kind of attack (www.
akademikperspektif.com 2012). With the development of the US’ industrialization
process causing a rise in the need for foreign energy resources, oil and gas- rich regions
were thus marked as geopolitically significant, with the need to maintain security in
supply regions gaining the utmost importance. Given energy security and access to
energy resources could guarantee the well-being of the American electorate through
the maintenance of satisfactory economic, industrial, agricultural, and trade conditions, as expected the US State Department formed its own Undersecretary role for
Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment in order to dedicate resources to this
strategy (www.state.gov 2017a, b). The very creation of this authority demonstrates the
weight the US Government attaches to the question of energy in its foreign relations.
Essentially, the US has always pursued policies, and displayed commitment to actions,
to ensure global energy security and access to energy for its enterprises and citizens.
Energy resources are important elements for government power, in which each
state has more resources than other governments. Of course, energy resources are
capabilities that, if a government can properly extract them and use them properly,
will increase the power of the state. Looking at energy sources as the material elements of power will produce, as some scholars have claimed, the speculation that
energy sources in the field of foreign relations should be analyzed using two theories of realism and idealism. “Realists stress that historically it is clear that some
commodities, and in particular energy resources, mineral resources, water, and
food, have a strategic value beyond their market price, say Left and Kereen. As a
result, these resources have been used consistently as foreign policy tools by exporters and have been used as a source of armed conflict” (Luft and Korin 2009:340).
Hans Morgenthau, the founder of modern realism, emphasizes that in international relations, the armed forces are considered to be a threat. In addition, it is also
regarded as the most important factor constituting the power of a state. This generates the notion that, in modern realism, military force is not the sole factor of the
material power of the state and is only considered as the most crucial constituent in
the formation of power. Morgenthau takes note of other factors that are constituents
of power, including “Geography, Natural Resources, Military Preparedness,
National Spirit, Industrial Capacity, Population, Government and the Quality of
Diplomacy” (Sutch and Elias 2007:49).
Energy is the most fungible power of the current international system and also
energy resources are classified as physical realities in the land controlled by the state,
which have a profound impact on a country’s industrial capacity, but, according to
modern realism, all elements of power are in the midst of the military power of the
country. They analyze their analysis according to their role or weakening of the military capacity.
1 Theoretical Framework