Scott McKnight - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Scott McKnight
Oil-producing states in the Global South adopt different strategies to influence and control thei... more Oil-producing states in the Global South adopt different strategies to influence and control their oil sectors. Why does an oil-producing state choose one approach over others? Why does a state change its approach? This dissertation argues that a government's ideological orientation and a country's oil balance combine in different ways to generate an oil-sector strategy that is either closed, mixed or open. While the variable of orientation represents the degree to which the government wants to intervene in the economy, the variable of oil balance constrains, facilitates or moderates a government's preferred oilsector strategy, depending on the interaction effects that occur from the specific aligning of these independent variables. This research presents four key findings. First, the strategy that immediately follows oil-sector nationalization sets the parameters for politically acceptable oil-related policies going forward. This original strategy often has lasting effects. Second, these constraints allow for change to occur but often limit the extent of that change. Third, a radical change in a government's orientation or oil balance opens space for major change to an oil-sector Oil-sector strategies in the Global South MCKNIGHT iii strategy. Fourth, the new strategy that comes after this critical juncture sets new parameters for oil policy. This argument emerged inductively from intensive study of 'big' Global South oilproducing countries of Brazil, China and Mexico, which included elite interviews as well as studying relevant works in political science, especially historical institutionalism, constructivism and certain theories of public policy. The methods of process-tracing and comparative historical analysis helped uncover the causal variables of government orientation and oil balance, and to identify the processes and logic that ultimately produced this mid-range theoretical argument about oil strategies. The need to identify causes and systematize explanations for a state's choice of oil-sector strategy stems from the fact that an oil industry is often the most capital-intensive, largest tax contributor and employer in an oil-producing country of the Global South with far-reaching impacts on governance and policy, as well as on political institutions and economic development. This doctoral dissertation would've been impossible without the constant support and encouragement from many people. First, my committee, who always had my best interest at heart and from the beginning wanted to see this dissertation come to fruition. Dan Breznitz, who led the committee in direction as well as insight, provided me with pragmatic advice to the proposal, fieldwork and writing stages, while always having an eye toward my future. At every moment he believed in my work and in me. Louis Pauly kept my focus at the 5,000foot level, always connected to bigger debates and real-world issues. Stefan Renckens acted as the indispensable middle-manager of the committee, posing meticulous questions about the logic of the argument as well as about methods, all of which ultimately helped make this dissertation purr and hum. Darius Ornston and Mark Blyth, who acted as internal and external readers respectively, joined the process in the later stages, giving valuable feedback on the quasi-finished product with suggestions for the research agenda going forward. I learned from many others at University of Toronto as well. I exchanged ideas with professors Wilson Prichard and Lynette Ong, largely on more region-specific matters, which is crucial for a dissertation as case-centric as this one. I was also supported by many colleagues with whom we exchanged ideas and notes, and generally were good friends during these arduous years when we all just need friends:
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2021
The online platform economy in China has grown to become one of the largest in the world, with se... more The online platform economy in China has grown to become one of the largest in the world, with several Chinese platform firms rivaling their American counterparts in size, revenue, and market capitalization. Their rise has challenged existing businesses and forced governments to find new ways to regulate the sector without stifling economic growth and innovation. In this paper, we present a structured explanation of the changes in governance of these private firms by the Chinese government as they grew from startups to powerful and indispensable actors in China's political economy. We explore the relationship between the party-state and these platforms, as the former has pursued its core goals of economic growth, technological selfsufficiency, and maintenance of single-party rule. The interactions between the platform economy, the market power of the platform firms, and the Chinese government's goals have led to changes in the governance of the Chinese platform economy.
Oil-producing states in the Global South adopt different strategies to influence and control thei... more Oil-producing states in the Global South adopt different strategies to influence and control their oil sectors. Why does an oil-producing state choose one approach over others? Why does a state change its approach? This dissertation argues that a government's ideological orientation and a country's oil balance combine in different ways to generate an oil-sector strategy that is either closed, mixed or open. While the variable of orientation represents the degree to which the government wants to intervene in the economy, the variable of oil balance constrains, facilitates or moderates a government's preferred oilsector strategy, depending on the interaction effects that occur from the specific aligning of these independent variables. This research presents four key findings. First, the strategy that immediately follows oil-sector nationalization sets the parameters for politically acceptable oil-related policies going forward. This original strategy often has lasting effects. Second, these constraints allow for change to occur but often limit the extent of that change. Third, a radical change in a government's orientation or oil balance opens space for major change to an oil-sector Oil-sector strategies in the Global South MCKNIGHT iii strategy. Fourth, the new strategy that comes after this critical juncture sets new parameters for oil policy. This argument emerged inductively from intensive study of 'big' Global South oilproducing countries of Brazil, China and Mexico, which included elite interviews as well as studying relevant works in political science, especially historical institutionalism, constructivism and certain theories of public policy. The methods of process-tracing and comparative historical analysis helped uncover the causal variables of government orientation and oil balance, and to identify the processes and logic that ultimately produced this mid-range theoretical argument about oil strategies. The need to identify causes and systematize explanations for a state's choice of oil-sector strategy stems from the fact that an oil industry is often the most capital-intensive, largest tax contributor and employer in an oil-producing country of the Global South with far-reaching impacts on governance and policy, as well as on political institutions and economic development. This doctoral dissertation would've been impossible without the constant support and encouragement from many people. First, my committee, who always had my best interest at heart and from the beginning wanted to see this dissertation come to fruition. Dan Breznitz, who led the committee in direction as well as insight, provided me with pragmatic advice to the proposal, fieldwork and writing stages, while always having an eye toward my future. At every moment he believed in my work and in me. Louis Pauly kept my focus at the 5,000foot level, always connected to bigger debates and real-world issues. Stefan Renckens acted as the indispensable middle-manager of the committee, posing meticulous questions about the logic of the argument as well as about methods, all of which ultimately helped make this dissertation purr and hum. Darius Ornston and Mark Blyth, who acted as internal and external readers respectively, joined the process in the later stages, giving valuable feedback on the quasi-finished product with suggestions for the research agenda going forward. I learned from many others at University of Toronto as well. I exchanged ideas with professors Wilson Prichard and Lynette Ong, largely on more region-specific matters, which is crucial for a dissertation as case-centric as this one. I was also supported by many colleagues with whom we exchanged ideas and notes, and generally were good friends during these arduous years when we all just need friends:
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2021
The online platform economy in China has grown to become one of the largest in the world, with se... more The online platform economy in China has grown to become one of the largest in the world, with several Chinese platform firms rivaling their American counterparts in size, revenue, and market capitalization. Their rise has challenged existing businesses and forced governments to find new ways to regulate the sector without stifling economic growth and innovation. In this paper, we present a structured explanation of the changes in governance of these private firms by the Chinese government as they grew from startups to powerful and indispensable actors in China's political economy. We explore the relationship between the party-state and these platforms, as the former has pursued its core goals of economic growth, technological selfsufficiency, and maintenance of single-party rule. The interactions between the platform economy, the market power of the platform firms, and the Chinese government's goals have led to changes in the governance of the Chinese platform economy.