18
of fact, one of the important priority concerns of the US from the early 1990s was to
shore-up German/EU, Russian, and Chinese influence, making them dependent on US
goals and national interests (Gurpinar and Kesici 2005:167–190).
Among the existing theories, neoclassical realism, due to simultaneous attention
to the variables of the level of the international system and the internal level, creates
more space for discussion. Under neoclassical realism, emphasizing the role of
leaders’ perceptions, relations between the state and society, and different definitions of national interests, while acknowledging the status of energy sources as part
of national power, the role of the leaders and elites of states, and the type of statemarket interaction in the field of energy are considered as important variables in
theorizing. In this way neoclassical realism, in addition to explaining the foreign
policy of importers, transporters, and energy exporters, can also explain the
difference in orientation between each of these three categories. Also, this theory
can explain the difference in the behavior of the foreign policy of a state in different
periods of time in the energy sector. Thus, while considering the usefulness of the
theory, analytical precision is sacrificed for the sake of saving the variables in the
theory (Shirkhani and Mohajer Pour 2012:37–38).
Data Collection
Besides many sources already mentioned in the proposed references section, basic
data collection methods have included systematic interviewing (with energy analysts, foreign policy experts, etc.) and direct observation through various data
studies. My main sources include research by major think tanks and scholars
working on the region, namely the “Brookings Institute,” “the Eurasia Foundation,”
“the Carnegie Endowment,” the “Royal Institute of Strategic Studies-RISS,” the
“Rand Corporation,” the “Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs,”
“the John F. Kennedy School of Government Harvard University,” “the Oxford
Institute for Energy Studies,” “CSIS-Center for Strategic and International
Studies” and various institutions in the countries of the region including the
Tehran-based International Institute for Caspian Studies (IICS) and the Caspian
Sea National Research Center, Atlantic Council, the United States Energy
Association (USEA), Wilson Center, Energy and Environment Initiative at the
Rice University, the Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois,
Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, American Enterprise
Institute, Central Asia Program, Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian
Studies, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University,
American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC), and International Association for
Energy Economics (IAEE). I have also attended numerous seminars, meetings,
forums, and conferences focusing on Caspian energy resources development in
order to obtain various data and collect papers. The Oil and Gas, Energy Policy,
and Energy Security journals—along with Data Book’s 2013 edition—are among
1 Theoretical Framework
of fact, one of the important priority concerns of the US from the early 1990s was to
shore-up German/EU, Russian, and Chinese influence, making them dependent on US
goals and national interests (Gurpinar and Kesici 2005:167–190).
Among the existing theories, neoclassical realism, due to simultaneous attention
to the variables of the level of the international system and the internal level, creates
more space for discussion. Under neoclassical realism, emphasizing the role of
leaders’ perceptions, relations between the state and society, and different definitions of national interests, while acknowledging the status of energy sources as part
of national power, the role of the leaders and elites of states, and the type of statemarket interaction in the field of energy are considered as important variables in
theorizing. In this way neoclassical realism, in addition to explaining the foreign
policy of importers, transporters, and energy exporters, can also explain the
difference in orientation between each of these three categories. Also, this theory
can explain the difference in the behavior of the foreign policy of a state in different
periods of time in the energy sector. Thus, while considering the usefulness of the
theory, analytical precision is sacrificed for the sake of saving the variables in the
theory (Shirkhani and Mohajer Pour 2012:37–38).
Data Collection
Besides many sources already mentioned in the proposed references section, basic
data collection methods have included systematic interviewing (with energy analysts, foreign policy experts, etc.) and direct observation through various data
studies. My main sources include research by major think tanks and scholars
working on the region, namely the “Brookings Institute,” “the Eurasia Foundation,”
“the Carnegie Endowment,” the “Royal Institute of Strategic Studies-RISS,” the
“Rand Corporation,” the “Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs,”
“the John F. Kennedy School of Government Harvard University,” “the Oxford
Institute for Energy Studies,” “CSIS-Center for Strategic and International
Studies” and various institutions in the countries of the region including the
Tehran-based International Institute for Caspian Studies (IICS) and the Caspian
Sea National Research Center, Atlantic Council, the United States Energy
Association (USEA), Wilson Center, Energy and Environment Initiative at the
Rice University, the Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois,
Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, American Enterprise
Institute, Central Asia Program, Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian
Studies, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University,
American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC), and International Association for
Energy Economics (IAEE). I have also attended numerous seminars, meetings,
forums, and conferences focusing on Caspian energy resources development in
order to obtain various data and collect papers. The Oil and Gas, Energy Policy,
and Energy Security journals—along with Data Book’s 2013 edition—are among
1 Theoretical Framework