A Critical Review of Theories Concerning Resource Rich Countries

This article deals with reviewing theories developed from the middle of the last century about countries with abundant natural resources. In this regard, related theories in development literature as well as discourses and theories of Rentier State, Dutch disease, resource curse and also institutionalist theories that tried to evaluate the political, economic, cultural and social structures of these countries have been analysed. Furthermore, their changes to date were also explored.  While referring to the main claims of these theories as well as the internal and external criticisms, the current article tries to highlight their theoretical and empirical gaps. An attempt was also made to allow criticizing and reformulating these theories and discourses by emphasizing on their strength and weaknesses points. This can pave the way for future empirical studies while also providing a critical review of available theories. On this basis, the problems neglecting the historical roots of the formation of the state and economy in many of these research currents, special feature of addressing the issue of politics and state in other currents, and the analysis of the social systems of these countries based on standard patterns in most related discourses, have been emphasized in the narrative presented in this article.