Iraq and Kuwait are arguably the only rentier nations in the Gulf region with legitimate representative legislative authority. While the histories and regime-classification of each country's democratic systems are different, the two parliaments have several similarities. Both parliaments are clearly subject to tribal and religious influences, affecting both the election of MPs, as well as ministerial appointments. However, unlike Kuwaiti democracy, which came about as the result of a power-sharing agreement between society and the royal family, Iraqi democracy is the forced result of the U.S.’ 2003 war. Iraq and Kuwait are among the top five producers of OPEC, yet Kuwait is ranked number one in oil wealth per capita and Iraq is ranked seventh globally. While both are considered rentier states, the former has a higher level of rentierism. The aim of this paper is to study how state-society relationships are framed by legislative branches in states with varying levels of rentier wealth. Specifically, it will look at how this dynamic shapes foreign policy behavior. The main question posed by this paper will be to determine whether the level of rentierism correlates with the level of foreign policy influence exercised by a given parliament. Therefore, this paper will utilize historical comparative analysis to examine patterns of legislative power that have contributed to these states divergent foreign policies. This study hypothesizes that legislative authority in Kuwait has had little role in shaping foreign policy outcomes, while in Iraq the legislature has played an integral role in defining state foreign policy.