Douglas Yates

Professor of Political Science , American Graduate School in Paris (AGS)
Professor, Member of the Academic Committee

Fields of expertise

African politics

Politics of Oil

Anglo-American Law

Franco-American Foreign Affairs

French Politics

Comparative Electoral Studies

Democracy Building

International Conflict

Research methods and methodology

Education

B.A. Law & Society, U.C. Santa Barbara

M.A. Political Science, Boston University

Ph.D. Political Science Boston University

Associate professor, University of Cergy-Pontoise, France

Publications
Books
The Scramble for African Oil: Oppression, Corruption and War for Control of Africa's Natural Resources (London: Pluto Press, 2012)

The French Oil Industry and the Corps des Mines in Africa (Trenton/Asmara: Africa World Press, 2009)

Historical Dictionary of Gabon, 3rd ed., co-authored with David Gardinier (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow-Press, 2006)

Oil Policy in the Gulf of Guinea: Security & Conflict, Economic Growth, Social Development co-edited with Rudolf Traub-Merz (Bonn: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, 2004)

The Rentier State in Africa: Oil Rent Dependency and Neocolonialism in the Republic of Gabon (Trenton/Asmara: Africa World Press, 1996)

Chapters in Edited Volumes
“Modern Dynastic Rule,” Oxford Bibliographies in Political Science, Sandy Maisel, ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2016)

“Gabon,” in Africa Yearbook: Politics, Economy and Society South of the Sahara (Leiden: Brill Publishers): all annual editions of the Africa Yearbook since 2004

“The Rise and Fall of Oil-Rentier States in Africa,” in J. Andrew Grant, W.R. Nadège Compaoré & Matthew I. Mitchell, eds. New Approaches to the Governance of Natural Resources: Insights from Africa (Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015)

“Port-Gentil: From Forestry Capital to Energy Capital,” in Joseph A. Pratt, Martin V. Melosi & Kathleen A. Brosnan, Energy Capitals: Local Impact, Global Influence (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2014)

“France, the EU, and Africa,” in Adekeye Adebajo & Kaye Whiteman, The EU and Africa: From Eurafrique to Afro-Europa (London: Hurst & Co. 2012)

“Oil, Rebel Movements and Armed Conflict in Africa,” in Alain Beltran, ed. Oil and War/Le pétrole et la guerre (Bruxelles: Peter Lang, 2012)

“Democracy and Authoritarianism in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Oxford Bibliographies in Political Science, Richard Valelly, ed. OBO-0302.R1 (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012). www.oxfordbibliographies.com

“Evaluating Governance in Africa’s Oil Sector,” in Jamila Abubakar, Kenneth Omeje & Habu Galadima, eds. Conflict of Securities: Reflections on State and Human Security in Africa (London: Adonis & Abbey, 2010)

“Life Stories and Family Histories of the French Oil Industry,” in Alain Beltran, ed. A Comparative History of National Oil Companies (Bruxelles: Peter Lang, 2010)

“UNESCO in Africa,” in Adekeye Adebajo, ed. From Global Apartheid to Global Village: Africa and the United Nations, with a forward by Boutros-Boutros Ghali (Scottsville, South Africa: University of Kwa-Zulu Natal Press, 2009)

“French Puppet, Chinese Strings: Gabon and China,” in Kweku Ampiah & Sanusha Naidu, eds. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? China and Africa: Engaging the World’s Next Superpower (Cape Town/Scottsville: Center for Conflict Resolution/University of KwaZulu-Natal Press 2008)

“The Resource Curse Thesis,” in Max Liniger-Goumaz, Guinea Ecuatorial: Bibliografía General, Vol. XV (Geneva: Editions du Temps, 2007)

“Chinese Oil Interests in Africa,” in Garth le Pere, ed. China in Africa: Mercantilist Predator, or Partner in Development? (Midrand/Johannesburg: Institute for Global Dialogue/South African Institute of International Affairs, 2006)

“France, Britain and the United States,” in Adekeye Adebajo & Ismail Rashid, eds., West Africa Security Challenges: Building Peace in a Troubled Region (Boulder: Lynne Riener, 2004)

“Neo-Petromonialism in Gabon,” in Andreas Mehler & Matthias Basedau, eds., Resource Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa (Hamburg: Institute of African Affairs, 2004)

“France’s Elf Scandals,” in Gerald Caiden, O.P. Dwivedi & Joseph Jabbra, Where Corruption Lives (Bloomfield CT: Kumarian Press, 2001)

“The United States, France and Equatorial Guinea,” in Luis Ondo Ayang, Mélanges Euro-Africains (Madrid: Claves Para El Futuro, 2001)

Articles in scholarly journals
Review of John Heilbrunn, Oil, Democracy, and Development in Africa,Journal of Modern African Studies Vol. 53 No. 1 (March 2015)

Review of Judith Scheele, Village Matters: Knowledge, Politics & Community in Kabila, Algeria, Africa Review of Books (March 2011)

Review of Sarah Raine, China’s African Challenges, Pacific Affairs, Vol. 83, No. 3 (2010)

“The French Connection”, Global Dialogue, Vol. 13.1 (Johannesburg: Institute for Global Dialogue, March 2008)

“The Scramble for African Oil,” South African Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 13, No. 2, Winter/Spring (2006)

Review of Leo Panitch and Colin Leys (eds), The New Imperial Challenge: Socialist Register 2004,New Political Science, Vol. 26, No. 3 (2004)

Review of Daniel Lindenberg, Le rappel à l’ordre: Enquête sur les nouveaux réactionnaires New Political Science, Vol. 25, No. 3 (2003)

Review of Ali Rahnema, An Islamic Utopian: A Political Biography of Ali Shari’ati , New Political Science, Vol. 23, No. 1 (2001)

“L’aide au développement international: réformes en France, en Grande-Bretagne et aux Etats-Unis,” Revue Française de Géoéconomie, no. 12 (Paris: Economica, 2000)

Review of Jacques Derrida, La Contre Allée, New Political Science, Vol. 22, No. 3 (2000)

Review of Pierre Bourdieu, La Domination Masculine, New Political Science, Vol. 21, No. 4 (1999)

“Oil and the Franco-American Rivalry,” L’Afrique Politique 1997 (Paris: Karthala, 1998)

Conference papers
University of Cambridge, “French Military Intervention in Africa,” 26th Biennial Conference of the African Studies Association of the UK, Cambridge, England (8 Sep 2016)

London School of Economics, “Modern Dynastic Rule in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea,” Kuwait Program, London, England (17 Oct 2015)

German Development Institute, “Scramble for African Oil,” 13th Annual Global Governance School, Bonn, Germany (10 Sep 2015)

University of Kassel, “Scramble for African Oil,” Oil Rents and Politics Workshop, Kassel, Germany (13 Dec 2013)

Institut Français du Proche-Orient, “Ethnicity, Violence and Oil Rent in Gabon,” Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq (8 Oct 2013)

Center for Conflict Resolution, “French Peacekeeping Role in Africa,” Stellenbosch, South Africa (30 Aug 2013)

Voronezh State University, “The Guéant Memorandum: What Are the Effects on Internationalization of Higher Education?” Global Advancement of Universities and Colleges (GAUC), Voronezh, Russia (25 May 2012)

Xi’an International University, “Evaluation of Educational Reforms in France: Better Climate for International Partners?” Global Advancement of Private Universities and Colleges (GAPUC) Xi’an, China (29 May 2011)

Chatham House, “Resolving Governance Challenges,” at Conference on Oil Politics in Africa, St. Mary’s Guild Hall, University of Coventry, England (16 Nov 2011)

United States Department of State, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, “History of Gabon,” Ambassadorial Seminar, Army/Navy Club, Washington D.C. (4 Oct 2010)

United States Department of State, Africa Regional Services, Speakers Program, “Youth Engagement in the Political Process,” Conakry, Guinea (16-21 Aug 2009)

International Political Science Association, “Enhancing Governance in Africa’s Oil Sector,” 21st World Congress of Political Science, Santiago, Chile (12-16 July 2009)

South African Institute of International Affairs, “Enhancing Governance in Africa’s Oil Sector,” Governance of African Resources Project (GARP), Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania (22-29 Nov 2008)

Centre for Conflict Resolution, “Gabon and China,” Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? China and Africa: Engaging the World’s Next Superpower, Policy Seminar, Cape Town, South Africa (17-18 Sept 2007)

Centre for Conflict Resolution, “France, Britain, & China: Good Samaritans?” Africa’s Responsibility to Protect/Policy Advisory Group Seminar, Cape Town, South Africa (23-24 April 2007)

United States Department of Defense, Joint Information Operations Warfare Command, “Strengths and Weaknesses of China/US Approaches to Africa: Resource Development and Trade,” China in Africa Today Seminar, San Antonio, Texas (6-7 March 2007)

United States Department of State, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, “China’s Interests in African Oil,” Arlington, Virginia (4 Dec 2006)

United States Department of State, Africa Regional Services, Speakers Program, “The Coming Generation: How Young Political Leaders Can Influence Their Country’s Future,” Nouakchott, Kaedi & Kiffa, Mauritania (28 Oct – 3 Nov 2006)

International Political Science Association, “The Scramble for African Oil.” 20th World Congress, Fukuoka, Japan (9-13 July 2006)

World Association for Island Studies, “A Tale of Two Islands: Equatorial Guinea and São Tomé & Príncipe.” 6th Peace Island Forum, Jeju Island, South Korea (5-7 July 2006)

Friedrich Ebert Stiftung/Institute for Global Dialogue, “Chinese Oil Interests in Africa,” Johannesburg (15-22 Oct 2005)

International Political Science Association, “The Scramble for African Oil.” Research Committee 49, Globalization or Imperialism? Oxford University (2-4 July 2004)

Heinrich Böll Foundation. “Oil and Poverty,” Conference on Transparency and Oil-Exporting Countries in Africa and Central Asia. Berlin (27-28 May 2004)

French Ministry of Finance and Economy, “La génération de la Croix de Guerre,” Comité pour l’Histoire Economique et Financière de la France. Paris (10 February 2004)

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), “Life Stories and Family Histories of the French Oil Industry,” Institut d’Histoire du Temps Present. Paris (27-28 November 2003)

Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, “Changing Patterns of Direct Foreign Investment in the Gulf of Guinea.” Yaoundé, Cameroon (29 Sept – 5 Oct 2003)

Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, “Oil States in Francophone Africa,” Conference on Oil in the Gulf of Guinea. Berlin (4-5 June 2003)

Transparency International, “The Elf Scandals,” 11th Annual Anti-Corruption Conference. Seoul, South Korea (24-27 May 2003)

Catholic Relief Services. “The Theory of the Rentier State and Poverty Alleviation,” Extractive Industries Initiative Workshop. Kribi, Cameroon (April 2002)

International Peace Academy/ECOWAS, “France, Britain and the United States,” Pax Africana: Building Peace in a Troubled Region. Abuja, Nigeria (21-29 September 2001)

Institut fuer Afrika-Kunde, “Role of Elf in African Oil Exporting Countries and Europe,” Hamburg, Germany (18 January 2001)

United States Information Service, Africa Regional Services, Speakers Program, “Democracy and Elections.” Cotonou, Benin & Lomé, Togo (13-22 October 2000)

American Political Science Association. “A Qualitative Analysis of French Political Cartoons,” 96th Annual Meeting & Exhibition, Washington, D.C. (31 August-3 September 2000)

United States Information Service, Africa Regional Services, Speakers Program, “Democracy and Elections,” Dakar, Senegal & Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (15-26 May 2000)

Sorbonne (University of Paris), “Clinton v New York: The Separation of Powers and the Legislative Veto,” Anglo-Saxon Law Graduate Program, Paris (5 November 1999)

American Political Science Association, “Clinton v Jones: The Monicagate Affair,” 95th Annual Meeting & Exhibition, Atlanta (2-5 September 1999)

American Political Science Association, “The French Oil Industry and the Corps des Mines,” 94th Annual Meeting & Exhibition, Boston (3-6 September 1998)