July 1996, Volume 7, Issue 3
Democratization in the Middle East: Power and Opposition in Morocco
Read the full essay here.
Region: Middle East and North Africa
July 1996, Volume 7, Issue 3
Democratization in the Middle East: Turkey–How Far From Consolidation?
Read the full essay here.
July 1996, Volume 7, Issue 3
Democratization in the Middle East: Quandaries of the Peace Process
Read the full essay here.
April 1996, Volume 7, Issue 2
Is the Middle East Different?
A review of Democracy Without Democrats? The Renewal of Politics in the Muslim World, edited by Ghassan Salamé.
April 1995, Volume 6, Issue 2
Economic Reform and Democracy: Can the Middle East Compete?
Read the full essay here.
July 1994, Volume 5, Issue 3
Rethinking Civil Society: Pluralism in the Arab World
Read the full essay here.
January 1993, Volume 4, Issue 1
Choosing an Electoral System: Israel Debates Reform
Read the full essay here.
October 1992, Volume 3, Issue 4
The Islamist Challenge: Religion and Modernity in Algeria
Read the full essay here.
October 1992, Volume 3, Issue 4
The Islamist Challenge: The Failure of Reform in Tunisia
Read the full essay here.
Fall 1990, Volume 1, Issue 4
An Arab Path to Democracy?
A review of Unruly Corporatism: The Associational Life in Twentieth-Century Egypt, by Robert Bianchi.
Spring 1990, Volume 1, Issue 2
Islamic Liberalism
A review of Islamic Liberalism: A Critique of Development Ideologies, by Leonard Binder.
Hope and Fear in Syria
The brutal regime of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad fell in a week. Syrians have been preparing for this moment for years.
Is Israel Losing Its Last Democratic Safeguard?
The country’s mass protests were its last democratic guardrail. But Israel’s wartime goals have become a higher priority than keeping Netanyahu in check.
Tunisia’s Insecure Strongman
Kais Saied is claiming a landslide election win. The truth is he was never willing to face a real competition. Just how insecure he feels will likely determine how much more repressive he will become.
Why Iran Is Entering a Dangerous Moment
The country’s recent elections revealed deep fissures in Iranian society and there is already growing disillusionment with the new president. With mounting economic worries, Iran is in a volatile state.
The Empty Promise of Iran’s New President
Masoud Pezeshkian won’t be a “reformer” in any genuine sense. Like all Iranian presidents, he has pledged his loyalty to Iran’s supreme leader. What he really offers is a softer version of Iran’s grim repression.
Why Militaries Support Presidential Coups
If you want to understand why generals support a presidential power grab, then you need to understand the logic that motivates them. Why they leave the barracks — and what we must do to get them to stand down.
How Turkey’s Opposition Won Big
Less than a year after a bitter loss, the opposition dealt Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling party their largest electoral defeat in decades. The question is whether they can now build on their success.
Will Kuwait’s Next Parliament Be Its Last?
The Gulf kingdom has been a rare democratic experiment. But gridlock and the Emir’s mounting impatience with Kuwaiti politics may be on the cusp of bringing it to an end.
Why Egypt Is Growing More Unstable Fast
The economy is spiraling, public frustration is mounting, and the regime is becoming more repressive. The next time Egyptians come to the streets, they will be looking for more than promises and free elections.
Cracks in Sisi’s Façade
Egypt’s upcoming presidential elections are a sham. But the opposition can still take advantage of this moment to push for genuine reforms that the country desperately needs.
Inside the Fight to Save Israeli Democracy
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants the public to see his efforts to overhaul the Israeli judiciary as a “reform.” But people have seen it for what it is: a struggle over the very future of democracy itself.
7 Lessons from Turkey’s Effort to Beat a Populist Autocrat
What the opposition did and how Erdoğan managed to escape outright defeat.
Why Women Are Leading the Fight in Iran
Iran’s women were the Islamic Republic’s first target for repression. This is the newest chapter in their struggle to win back their rights.
Iran Erupts
Iranians are once again flooding the streets in protest. How is this wave of demonstrations different?
Why Pakistan Always Seems on the Brink of Collapse
The military has spent decades trying to impose order on Pakistani politics. It has led to chaos.
A Dictator’s Day in Court
Tunisia’s president is looking to strengthen his chokehold on the country.
How Democracy Can Win Out in Sudan
The country just got a new chance to restore its democratic transition. Here’s how they can ensure that Sudan stays on the right path.
Democratization and Authoritarianism in the Arab World
The uprisings that swept the Arab world beginning in 2010 toppled four entrenched rulers and seemed to create a political opening in a region long impervious to democratization.
