United States Foreign Oil Policy Since World War I: For Profits and Security

Barb Bloemhof is an assistant professor in the Department of Sport
Management at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario.

With oil prices climbing and geopolitical energy challenges increasing,
this revision of Randall’s 1985 study of U.S. foreign oil policy is
timely. The U.S. policy has been a continued focus on energy supply
security—with as little official intervention as possible—to support
domestic and military demand for energy. The results of this policy have
been mixed, and the ethic of energy conservation that appeared to have
momentum when Randall’s first study was published has since slipped
from consumers’ minds.

Organizing his thorough yet concise text around key historical eras as
opposed to administrative regimes, the author provides a balanced,
well-researched examination of the energy-related motivations and
priorities of the various U.S. administrations under review. He warns of
continuing instability of supply and significantly higher world spot
prices for crude. United States Foreign Oil Policy Since World War I
should be required reading for Canadian policy-makers and regulators, as
well as general readers seeking a thoughtful analysis of the geopolitics
of petroleum.