The Necessity of Collaborative Federalism for Oil and Gas Management in Iraq

The distribution of power and wealth is a contentious issue of federalism in Iraq. It has caused major conflicts between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), especially over the management of oil and gas. This paper aims to clarify the nature of those disputes and their possible solution through Elazar’s theory of collaborative federalism. After presenting the principal elements of collaborative federalism, it provides eight rationales for adopting collaborative approach in Iraq. The rationales are mainly examined in the context of managing oil and gas between the central government and KRG. The paper then discusses some potential challenges for changing the nature of federalism in Iraq from competitive to collaborative.