Comparative Politics of the Middle East
POLS 308-01
Spring 2012
Dr. Nadine Sika
Email: nadinesika@aucegypt.edu
Office: HUSS 2022
Office Hours: Sunday: 1:30-3:00/ or by appointment
Class Venue: WALEED C149
Class Time: 11:30-12:45 UW
Course Description
This course aims to provide students with an understanding of contemporary
politics of the Middle East. The course seeks to address and answer major
questions concerning state-society relations in the region. What is the historical
origin shaping the socio-political and economic structures of the region? What
are the major trends that shape politics in the region? What are the origins of
the Arab Israeli conflict, and how far does it affect Arab politics today? What is
the role of Political Islam in shaping politics of the Arab world? How does the
political economy in the region affect the dynamics of authoritarianism? How do
Arab states treat the problem of ethnic and religious minorities? What is the role
of civil society and the media in the conduct of Arab Politics? Through addressing
these questions, the course seeks to introduce students to the most important
issues shaping the politics of the Middle East today.
Text Books
Angrist, Michelle P. Politics and Society in the Contemporary Middle East.
Boulder: Lynne Riener, 2010.
Kamrava, Mehran
Grading
Attendance and Participation
15%
2 Midterm Examinations
20% (each)
Paper
25%
Final Exam
25%
Please refer to the University academic integrity policy concerning academic
dishonesty, which includes, but is not limited to: Plagiarism; receipt of
information during an examination; use of unauthorized material during an
examination; transferal of unauthorized information to another student; and
submission of the same paper or substantially the same paper for two different
courses. http://www.aucegypt.edu/resources/acadintegrity
Attendance and Participation 15%
Students are expected to actively participate in class through reading the material
before class. Once every two weeks, we will conduct in-class debates about the topic
we are examining. Active participation in these debates is a must, and is counted as
your participation grade for the semester. More than six absences result in an “F”.
Midterm Examinations 20% each
The exams will be composed of short essays and/or definitions; and one large essay
question.
Paper 20%
Each student is expected to write a research paper about any topic in Middle East
Politics. Students are expected to write an abstract, and give it to me. I have to first
review and accept the topic.
Final Exam 25%
The final exam will not be cumulative and shall be held during the final examination
week.
Course Outline
Week 1
January 30- February 2
Introduction to the course
Week 2
February 6-9
Approaches and Concepts and the Emergence of the Modern Middle East
Milton-Edwards, Introduction and Chapter 1
Owen, Chapter 1
Recommended Readings
Mansfield, Peter. A History of the Middle East. Penguin, 2003.
Week 3
February 13-16 020904128
State Building in Arab Republics
Owen, Chapter 2
In Class Presentations: Egypt; Syria; Algeria and Iraq
Recommended Readings
Richards, A. and Waterbury, J. Political Economy of the Middle East. Westview
Press, 2008.
Anderson, Lisa. “The State in the Middle East and North Africa.” Comparative
Politics 20:1 (October 1987): 1-18.
Hannan, Usman and Hany Besada. “Dimensions of Sate Fragility: A Review of the
Social Science Literature.” CIGI Working Paper No. 33, the Centre for International
Governance Innovation.
Week 4
February 20-23
State Building in the Middle East
Owen Chapter 3
In Class Presentations: Saudi Arabia Nour, Noura; Libya; Iran;Nabila, Nardine
Turkey Yehia, Yomna;
Recommended Readings
Lucas, Russel. “Monarchical Authoritarianism.” International Journal of Middle
East Studies 36 (2004): 103-119.
Anderson, Lisa. “Absolutism and the Resilience of Monarchy in the Middle East.”
Political Science Quarterly. Spring 1991.
Week 5
February 27-March 2
Arab Nationalism
Owen Chapter 4
Milton Edwards Chapter 2
Recommended Reading
Rashid, Khalidi et.al. The Origins of Arab Nationalism. Columbia UP, 1991.
Political Economy
Milton Edwards Chapter 3
Owen Chapter 7
Recommended Reading
Richards and Waterburry, Chapter 8
Beblawi, Hazem and Giacomo Luciani eds. The Rentier State
Week 6
March 6-9
March 6 Midterm I
March 9
Conflict
The Middle East in International Relations: I. Arab Israeli
Milton Edwards Chapter 4
Jillian Schwedler and Deborah Gerner. Understanding the Contemporary Middle
East. Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2008: chapter 5
Recommended Reading
Gelvin, James. The Israel-Palestine Conflict: One Hundred Years of War.
Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2005.
Rashid, Khalid. The Iron Cage: The History of the Palestinian Struggle. Beacon,
2006.
Week 7
March 13-16
The Middle East in International Relations: II. The Gulf War
Milton Edwards Chapter 9
Owen Chapter 6 and 12
Recommended Reading
Allawi, Ali. The Occupation of Iraq: Winning the War, Losing the Peace. New
Haven: Yale UP, 2ND ED, 2008.
Schwedler and Gerner, chapter 5
March 16 Student Presentations
Gulf War I; Gulf War II; Lebanese Civil War
Week 8
March 20-23
Political Islam
Milton Edwards Chapter 5
Owen, Chapter 9
Recommended Readings
Esposito, John. Political Islam: Revolution, Radicalism, or Reform? Boulder: Lynn
Rienner, 1997.
Wiktorowicz, Quintan. Islamic Activism: A Social Movement Theory Approach.
Indiana UP, 2004.
March 23 Students Presentations
The Muslim Brothers; Hamas; Hezbollah; Al-Qaida
Week 9
March 27-30
Civil Society and Political Participation
Al-Sayyid, Mustapha. “The Concept of Civil Society in the Arab World.” In Rex
Brynen, Bahgat Korany and Paul Noble eds. Political Liberalization and
Democratization in the Arab World. Vol. 1. Theoretical Perspectives. Lynne Rienner,
1995: 131-147.
Abdelrahman, Maha. “The Politics of UnCivil Society in Egypt.” Review of African
Political Economy, 29 (91): 21-35.
Carapico, Sheila. “Civil Society.” In Michelle P. Angrist ed. Politics and Society in
the Contemporary Middle East. Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2010: 91-109.
Recommended Readings
Lust-Okar Ellen. “Divided They Rule. The Management and Manipulation of
Political Opposition.” Comparative Politics 36 (2): 159-179.
Norton, Augustus R. Civil Society in the Middle East. Brill, 1995.
Wiktorowicz, Quintan. “Civil Society as Social Control. State Power in Jordan.”
Comparative Politics 33 (1): 43-61.
Week 10
April 3-6
Democracy, Elections and Political Participation
Owen Chapter 8
Milton Edwards Chapter 6
Recommended Reading
Ellen Lust-Okar. “Elections Under Authoritarianism: Preliminary Lessons from
Jordan.” Democratization 13 (2006).
Lust-Okar, and Saloua Zerhouni. Political Participation in the Middle East. Lynne
Rienner, 2008.
April 6 MIDTERM II
Week 11
April 10-13
State-Society Relations Compared
Penner Angrist, chapter14 (Jordan); chapter 11 (Iran); chapter 17 (Saudi Arabia);
Chapter 18 (Syria)
April 17-24 HOLIDAY
Week 12
April 27
Minorities in the Arab World
Milton Edwards chapter 8
Gerner and Schwedler Chapter 10
Week 13
May 4
Youth
Navatej Dhillon and Tarik Youssef. Generation in Waiting: The Unfulfilled Promise
of Young Peiople in the Middle East. Brookings Press, 2009
Week 14
May 8-11
Media and Politics
Jon Anderson. “New Media, new Publics: Reconfiguring the Public Sphere of
Islam.” Social Research 70: 3 (Fall 2003): 887-90
Marc Lynch “Taking Arabs Seriously.” Foreign Affairs (September/October 2003):
81-94.
May 11 Students Presentations
The Role of Youth in Political Change (Tunisia); The Role of Youth in Political
Change (Egypt); The Role of the Media in social Protests
Week 15
May 15-18
Future Trends and Revision
Milton Edwards, Epilogue
Owen, Chapter 12
Recommended Readings
Carnegie, the New Middle East,
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cf?fa=view&id=19928