Dec
8
Studying Authoritarianism and Change in the Middle East and North Africa
December 8, 2023 | Leave a Comment
Understanding authoritarianism and change in MENA is a complex topic that scholars in comparative politics and political science have attempted to understand for decades. Ultimately, there is not one distinguishing factor that sets MENA apart, but rather a combination of them. MENA is unique given the high presence of resource endowments, which have crucial links […]
Nov
1
Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown: Handling public dissent in MENA’s monarchies
November 1, 2023 | Leave a Comment
Monarchical rulers constantly have challenges that not only threaten their survival but also the scope of their power, as exemplified by the famous Shakespeare quote, “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown”. The Middle East in the last 15 years has been a great example of this with the Arab uprisings that began in […]
Oct
6
A Review of “A Siege of Salt and Sands”: The Effects of Climate Change on Tunisia and MENA
October 6, 2023 | Leave a Comment
The Middle East and North Africa is the most water-scarce region in the world and one of the most food insecure as well, which is only made worse by the constant economic instability and increasing effects of climate change. “A Siege of Salt and Sands” takes Tunisia as a case study of the previous issues […]
Sep
25
Rentierism and Democracy
September 25, 2023 | 2 Comments
The Middle East and North Africa region is characterized by the rest of the world as being incredibly resistant to democracy, prompting a specific focus on authoritarianism and the idea of a rentier state. Rentier states have rents on specific products, which in this case is oil, and charge foreigners for access to those rents. […]
Sep
20
Is the Western Lens of Democratization Applicable in MENA? Analyzing Lisa Anderson’s Article “Searching for Where the Light Shines: Studying Democratization in the Middle East”
September 20, 2023 | Leave a Comment
In Lisa Anderson’s 2006 article, “Searching for Where the Light Shines: Studying Democratization in the Middle East”, she argues that the model for democracy, which is idealized by the Western world and the US specifically, does not necessarily apply to the region of the Middle East. Western foreign policy puts a large emphasis on democracy […]