Profiting from prestige: the political economy of mega-events in Azerbaijan
Why do rentier states seek out hosting rights for major international events? This article investigates this question through a qualitative case study of mega-events programs in Azerbaijan. Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, hydrocarbon exports have formed the backbone of the...
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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Palgrave Macmillan
2024
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| Summary: | Why do rentier states seek out hosting rights for major international events? This
article investigates this question through a qualitative case study of mega-events programs in
Azerbaijan. Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, hydrocarbon exports
have formed the backbone of the country’s economy and the main source of rents for ruling
elites. Focusing on the development of Azerbaijan’s events industry in the 2000s and 2010s,
the article uses available evidence and process tracing techniques to develop the hypothesis
that Azerbaijan’s elites sought out hosting rights, at least in part, to diversify their sources of
private rents. By problematising the direction of causality between mega-events and rentseeking behaviour, this analysis expands current theories on states’ motivations for hosting
these events and contributes to existing understandings about how these proceedings serve to
support and sustain rentier regimes. |
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