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This book examines how ruling elites manage and manipulate their political opposition in the Middle East. In contrast to discussions of government-opposition relations that focus on how rulers either punish or co-opt opponents, this book focuses on the effect of institutional rules governing the opposition. It argues rules determining who is and is not allowed to participate in the formal political arena affect not only the relationships between opponents and the state, but also between various opposition groups. This affects the dynamics of opposition during prolonged economic crises. It also shapes the informal strategies that ruling elites use toward opponents. The argument is presented using a formal model of government-opposition relations. It is demonstrated in the cases of Egypt under Presidents Nasir, Sadat and Mubarek; Jordan under King Husayn; and Morocco under King Hasan II.
Lust and her outstanding contributors have fully revised the text to take into account the watershed events that have taken place in the Middle East since the 2011 uprisings. The book also adds important coverage with a new thematic chapter on religion, society, and politics in the region, which examines the role of both Islam and Judaism. New to this edition: - Every chapter has been thoroughly revised to cover all of the major changes in the region since the uprisings of 2011 - The Overview section now contains a chapter on religion, society, and politics in the Middle East that examines the role of both Islam and Judaism - Expanded coverage of the role of social movements and activism in the chapter, Actors and Public Opinion. - Country chapters have been revised to more explicitly address religion, society and politics - In light of user feedback, the thematic chapters have been reordered to fit more naturally with teaching progression preferred by most faculty
Political participation in authoritarian regimes is usually considered insignificant, or important only insofar as it promotes democracy. Turning this common wisdom on its head, Political Participation in the Middle East demonstrates the vitality, variety, and significance of political activism across the MENA region. Through an in-depth exploration of seven countries, the authors address how formal and informal political institutions create opportunities for participation in venues as varied as trade unions, civic associations, political parties, and elections. And, without losing sight of the fact that authoritarian regimes manipulate participation to reinforce their rule, they reveal ways in which citizens do benefit?by influencing decision-making, for example, or obtaining state resources. An engaging read for scholars and students, this work vividly illustrates how citizens matter in the politics of authoritarian regimes.
Now in its twelfth edition, The Middle East continues to be the most comprehensive, balanced introduction to the region. This long trusted and time-tested resource has not only been updated for currency, but the scope of the book has also been thoughtfully modified to capture a more complex and complete picture of the Middle East. Its new editor, Ellen Lust, has gathered an outstanding group of scholars to bring important revisions to this edition: • new chapters on political economy, domestic and regional politics, and international relations have been added to the overview section; • new organization of the country profiles mirrors the topics covered in the overview section, making the...
In the newly updated Sixteenth Edition of The Middle East, Ellen Lust and contributors comprehensively examine regional trends and offer in-depth country profiles to illuminate this vital region.
Presents historical, comparative, and theoretical perspectives on democratization and legislatures in the Arab world, supported by six case studies. The authors look at the distinctive features of democratization processes in the Arab world, discuss the ability of parliaments to provide linkages between government and citizens, and present a typology of Arab parliaments revolving around the variables of centrality and capacity. The second part of the text consists of case studies in legislative development in Lebanon, Morocco, Kuwait, Yemen, and Egypt. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Debunks the simplistic narratives of youth-driven, social media revolutions in the Arab Spring. Taking to the Streets critically examines the conventional wisdom that the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings happened spontaneously and were directed by tech-savvy young revolutionaries. Pairing first-hand observations from activists with the critical perspectives of scholars, the book illuminates the concept of activism as an ongoing process, rather than a sudden burst of defiance. The contributors examine case studies from uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Bahrain, Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, evaluating the various manifestations of political activism within the context o...
Explores the most fundamental challenges to democracy in an era of globalization and addresses universal values, human rights and development, global constitutionalism, institutional complexity and challenges to the Democratic State.
Often dismissed as window-dressing, nominally democratic institutions, such as legislatures and political parties, play an important role in non-democratic regimes. In a comprehensive cross-national study of all non-democratic states from 1946 to 2002 that examines the political uses of these institutions by dictators, Gandhi finds that legislative and partisan institutions are an important component in the operation and survival of authoritarian regimes. She examines how and why these institutions are useful to dictatorships in maintaining power, analyzing the way dictators utilize institutions as a forum in which to organize political concessions to potential opposition in an effort to neutralize threats to their power and to solicit cooperation from groups outside of the ruling elite. The use of legislatures and parties to co-opt opposition results in significant institutional effects on policies and outcomes under dictatorship.
According to conventional wisdom, the national identity of the Jordanian state was defined by the ruling Hashemite family, which has governed the country since the 1920s. But this view overlooks the significant role that the "Arab street"—in this case, ordinary Jordanians and Palestinians—played and continues to play in defining national identity in Jordan and the Fertile Crescent as a whole. Indeed, as this pathfinding study makes clear, "the street" no less than the state has been a major actor in the process of nation building in the Middle East during and after the colonial era. In this book, Betty Anderson examines the activities of the Jordanian National Movement (JNM), a collectio...