Political Science Commons^™

The U.S. Shale Revolution: The Threat To Saudi Arabia And The Future Of The U.S.-Saudi "Special Relationship", Ava Vered Zieff

Senior Theses

The U.S. initiated U.S.-Saudi relations out of fear of resource scarcity and dependence on overseas oil; however, the U.S. has never been dependent on Arabian oil. Rather, the U.S. projected its influence to secure the Middle East’s balance of power, the global oil market, and American hegemony. U.S.-Saudi relations have withstood seismic world events, diplomatic crises, and domestic turmoil because the partnership’s value extends far beyond the exchange of oil for security. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia wield their relations to pursue their respective national and global interests, which has historically provided sufficient justification for the U.S. to overlook the …