Islam and Democracy in the Middle East

Islam and Democracy in the Middle East
Title Islam and Democracy in the Middle East PDF eBook
Author Larry Diamond
Publisher
Pages 360
Release 2003-08-07
Genre Political Science
ISBN

Download Islam and Democracy in the Middle East Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

A comprehensive assessment of the origins and staying power of Middle East autocracies, as well as a sober account of the struggles of state reformers and opposition forces to promote civil liberties, competitive elections and a pluralistic vision of Islam. Drawing on the insights of some 25 leading Western and Middle Eastern scholars, the book highlights the dualistic and often contradictory nature of political liberalization. Yemen suggest, political liberalization - as managed by the state - not only opens new spaces for debate and criticism, but is also used as a deliberate tactic to avoid genuine democratization. In several chapters on Iran, the authors analyze the benefits and costs of limited reform. There, the electoral successes of President Mohammad Khatami and his reformist allies inspired a new generation but have not as yet undermined the clerical establishment's power. By contrast, in Turkey a party with Islamist roots is moving a discredited system beyond decades of conflict and paralysis, following a stunning election victory in 2002. force for change. While acknowledging the enduring attraction of radical Islam throughout the Arab world, the concluding chapters carefully assess the recent efforts of Muslim civil society activists and intellectuals to promote a liberal Islamic alternative. Their struggles to affirm the compatibility of Islam and pluralistic democracy face daunting challenges, not least of which is the persistent efforts of many Arab rulers to limit the influence of all advocates of democracy, secular or religious.

Elections and Democratization in the Middle East

Elections and Democratization in the Middle East
Title Elections and Democratization in the Middle East PDF eBook
Author M. Hamad
Publisher Springer
Pages 249
Release 2014-02-20
Genre Political Science
ISBN 1137299258

Download Elections and Democratization in the Middle East Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Top scholars of the Middle East set out the history and future of elections in eight Middle East countries. Examining issues associated with elections, the transition of governance, and the ways in which technology shapes popular participation in politics and elections, they discuss the future of governance and democratic transition in the region.

Democratic Transition in the Middle East

Democratic Transition in the Middle East
Title Democratic Transition in the Middle East PDF eBook
Author Larbi Sadiki
Publisher Routledge
Pages 226
Release 2013
Genre Political Science
ISBN 0415505674

Download Democratic Transition in the Middle East Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

The book is framed with a view to discussing the politics of democratic transition by re-assessing power politics critically, and from an original angle. Specifically, this original angle examines the diverse attempts below the state level to carve out a space for democratic struggle in the Arab Middle East (AME). This space is hypothesized in this manuscript in terms of a democratic faragh or void (Sadiki, 2004) by relative state retreat/absence and society advancement/presence.

Democratization in the Middle East

Democratization in the Middle East
Title Democratization in the Middle East PDF eBook
Author Amin Saikal
Publisher
Pages 232
Release 2003
Genre Business & Economics
ISBN

Download Democratization in the Middle East Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Part I. Democratic peace, conflict prevention, and the United Nations. Part II. Secularization and democracy. Part III. National and regional experiences.

Conflict, Democratization, and the Kurds in the Middle East

Conflict, Democratization, and the Kurds in the Middle East
Title Conflict, Democratization, and the Kurds in the Middle East PDF eBook
Author David Romano
Publisher Springer
Pages 321
Release 2014-08-13
Genre Political Science
ISBN 1137409991

Download Conflict, Democratization, and the Kurds in the Middle East Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

In Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, central governments historically pursued mono-nationalist ideologies and repressed Kurdish identity. As evidenced by much unrest and a great many Kurdish revolts in all these states since the 1920s, however, the Kurds manifested strong resistance towards ethnic chauvinism. What sorts of authoritarian state policies have Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria relied on to contain the Kurds over the years? Can meaningful democratization and liberalization in any of these states occur without a fundamental change vis-à-vis their Kurdish minorities? To what extent does the Kurdish issue function as both a barrier and key to democratization in four of the most important states of the Middle East? While many commentators on the Middle East stress the importance of resolving the Arab-Israeli dispute for achieving 'peace in the Middle East,' this book asks whether or not the often overlooked Kurdish issue may constitute a more important fulcrum for change in the region, especially in light of the 'Arab Spring' and recent changes in Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria.

Uncharted Journey

Uncharted Journey
Title Uncharted Journey PDF eBook
Author Thomas Carothers
Publisher Carnegie Endowment
Pages 313
Release 2010-03
Genre Political Science
ISBN 0870032860

Download Uncharted Journey Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

The United States faces no greater challenge today than successfully fulfilling its new ambition of helping bring about a democratic transformation of the Middle East. Uncharted Journey contributes a wealth of concise, illuminating insights on this subject, drawing on the contributors' deep knowledge of Arab politics and their substantial experience with democracy-building in other parts of the world. The essays in part one vividly dissect the state of Arab politics today, including an up-to-date examination of the political shock wave in the region produced by the invasion of Iraq. Part two and three set out a provocative exploration of the possible elements of a democracy promotion strategy for the region. The contributors identify potential false steps as well as a productive way forward, avoiding the twin shoals of either reflexive pessimism in the face of the daunting obstacles to Arab democratization or an unrealistic optimism that fails to take into account the region's political complexities. Contributors include Eva Bellin (Hunter College), Daniel Brumberg (Carnegie Endowment), Thomas Carothers (Carnegie Endowment), Michele Dunne (Georgetown University), Graham Fuller, Amy Hawthorne (Carnegie Endowment), Marina Ottaway (Carnegie Endowment), and Richard Youngs (Foreign Policy Centre).

Democracy in the Arab World

Democracy in the Arab World
Title Democracy in the Arab World PDF eBook
Author Ibrahim Elbadawi
Publisher IDRC
Pages 354
Release 2011
Genre Political Science
ISBN 0415779995

Download Democracy in the Arab World Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle

Despite notable socio-economic development in the Arab region, a deficit in democracy and political rights has continued to prevail. This book examines the major reasons underlying the persistence of this democracy deficit over the past decades, drawing on case studies from across the Arab world to explore economic development, political institutions and social factors, and the impact of oil wealth and regional wars.