School of Politics and International Studies

The Role of Business in US Oil-Dependence Policymaking under George W. Bush

George W. Bush declared in 2006 that “America is addicted to oil, which often comes from unstable parts of the world.” The quote above is reflective of concern at the highest levels of American government about US oil dependence; concerns that can be traced back forty years to the 1973 OPEC embargo. What is peculiar about this concern, and what motivates this research, is that since 1973, and following the numerous policies intended to reduce US oil consumption that have been introduced since 1973, American oil consumption and American oil imports have substantially increased; that is to say, that in spite of political efforts to decrease American oil consumption, consumption has risen.

In light of this situation, this research project seeks to uncover some of the reasons for the increase in oil consumption and for the failure of successive administrations to combat US oil dependence. In looking for reasons for the current situation the US finds itself in, this research will explore government-industry relations with regards to both the shaping and execution of policies that could reduce or potentially eliminate US oil dependence. In particular, this research will investigate the roles of the oil and automotive industries in the shaping and execution of two policies intended to ameliorate/solve US oil dependence – Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicle research. These two policies will each serve as case studies that will be investigated through elite interviews during a period of fieldwork and through extensive use of US government documents. 

One of the major differences between this research and similar work on US oil dependence is that the majority of political scholarship focuses on US oil dependence as an external political problem; as an issue of foreign policy. Here, oil dependence is viewed as a domestic problem that has been politically constructed over many years and, through oil consumption driving demand for oil imports, subsequently has significant impact upon global politics.