This senior seminar is an evaluation of the politics of oil and other fossil fuels fuels in the context of the clean energy transition. Course topics include the fundamentals of the energy transition, the political consequences of extractive resource wealth (commonly referred to as the “resource curse”), decarbonization, “net zero” targets, obstacles to moving away from fossil fuels, and an assessment of how energy policy is implemented in practice. Readings will be drawn from the political science and economics literatures, news articles, case studies, and policy memos from leading energy think tanks and research institutions