Christopher Walker, the executive director of the International Forum for Democratic Studies, talks with Steven Heydemann about his October 2013 Journal of Democracy essay "Tracking the "Arab Spring": Syria and the Future of Authoritarianism."
Dr. Steven Heydemann serves as senior adviser for Middle East Initiatives at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Dr. Heydemann is a political scientist who specializes in the comparative politics and the political economy of the Middle East, with a particular focus on Syria. His interests include authoritarian governance, economic development, social policy, political and economic reform and civil society. Dr. Heydemann is also a member of the International Forum for Democratic Studies Research Council.