308-02 COMPARATIVE POLITICS
IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND
NORTH AFRICA (MENA)
Prof. Ivan Iveković
Office: room 2011
e-mail: iwek@aucegypt.edu
The course seeks to acquaint the student with an overall historic view of Middle East and
North African changing political realities and, through case studies, with recent political
developments in individual countries.
Outline:
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Geography, natural resources, human element and the changing geopolitics of the region:
I. Ivekovic. An Introduction … “The Region”, p.2 + Geo-test: Key Words
C. Held. The Earth and the State. “The Middle Eastern Patterns: Places, People, and Politics,”
pp. 161-185.
P. Mansfield. The Arabs. “Who are the Arabs?” + “The Great Explosion,” pp. 1-48.
Different approaches to comparative studies: focus on one country or center-periphery
relations? The “drama of the moment” or “historical depth?”
I. Ivekovic. An Introduction …”Comparative Politics” ,p p. 3-6
H. Wiarda. Introduction to Comparative Politics. “What is Comparative Politics?” pp. 1-28.
Social and economic changes and politics. The role of the state, elites, classes, sects, ethnic
groups, and of the military establishment:
J. Bill & R. Springborg. Politics in the ME. “Genes of Politics: Group, Classes, and Families…”
pp. 63-100 +“Institutions of Government: Militaries, Bureaucracies, and Legislatures, “ pp. 168
-228.
M. Palmer. The Politics of the ME. “Introduction: Continuity and Change in the Middle
East,” pp. 1-12.
4. Main sequences of political development in the region:
- I. Ivekovic. An Introduction…”An Outline of MENA Political History, 1789-1945.” Part One. pp.
5-30.
P. Mansfield. The History of the ME. “Introduction: From Ancient to Modern,” pp. 1-34.
5.
Decomposition of the Ottoman Empire, colonial penetration and resistance:
I. Ivekovic. An Introduction…”Period of Inconclusive Reforms and Colonial Penetration, 17891914.” Part One, pp. 5-17.
P. Mansfield. The Arabs. “The Long Decline” + “The West Attacks,’ pp. 48-64.
P. Mansfield. The History of the ME. “Islam on the Defensive, 1800- ,” pp. 33-34 + “Muhammad
Ali’s Egypt,” pp. 46-62 + “The Struggle for Reforms,” pp. 63-84.
6.
First World War , the Arab Revolt, and great powers’ politics:
I. Ivekovic. An Introduction…”WWI, Ottoman Defeat and the Sevres Treaty, 1914-1939.”
pp.15-17.
P. Mansfield. The History of the ME. “The Sick Man Dies, 1918,” +
“The Anglo-French Interregnum,” pp. 149-218.
P. Mansfield. The Arabs. “The Arab Revolt,” + “The Great Deception,” pp. 161-194.
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Between the Two WWs. Modernization projects: Ataturk and Reza Shah:
I. Ivekovic. An Introduction…”Between the Two WWs, 1918-1939.” pp. 17-25.
J. Bill & R. Springborg. Politics in the ME. “Ataturk: The Revolutionary Father of Turkey,”
+ “Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi,” pp. pp. 134-154.
M. Palmer. The Politics of the ME. “Turkey …” pp. 310-312 + “Iran…” pp. 265-272.
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Second World War and its consequences, and Cold War confrontation:
P. Mansfield. The History of the ME. “The Second World War and its Aftermath,” +
“The Entry of Superpowers and the Nasser Era,” pp. 219-270.
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Arab nationalist ideologies: Nasserism, the Baath Party project, the Arab National
Movement, the FLN project in Algeria, and Palestinian Resistance:
P. Mansfield (same as above).
P. Mansfield. The Arabs. “Algeria: Austere Revolutionaries,” pp. 433-441.
M. Palmer. The Politics of the ME. “Egypt…” pp. 44—56.
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10. Zionism, Israel and Palestine:
- J. Bill & R. Springborg. Politics in the ME. “The Arab-Israeli Conflict,” pp. 223-259.
M. Palmer. The Politics of the ME,.“ Israel and Palestine: One Land, Two Claimants,”
pp. 87-143.
11. The political use of religion: the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic Revolution in Iran,
Hamas in Palestine, and Hezbollah in Lebanon; radical Islamist groups and Al Queda:
J. Bill & R. Springborg. Politics in the ME. “Muhammad: The Politics of a Prophet,” pp. 103111 + “The Rise of Islamism,” pp. 270-273.
P. Mansfield. The History of the ME. “Islamic Reassertion: Revolution and War,” pp. 322-334.
M. Palmer. The Politics of the ME. “ Introduction,.” pp. 12-27 + “Egypt…” pp. 76-81.
12. The Collapse of the USSR and US unilateral policy in the ME “geopolitical laboratory.”
Support to Israel, “War on terror,” pressures on Syria, Iran and the Sudan.
M. Palmer. The Politics of the ME.
13. Internal developments and external involvements in key countries: Egypt, Syria,
Iraq, S. Arabia, Algeria and Turkey.
M. Palmer. The Politics in the ME. “Egypt…” pp. 57-85 + “Iraq…” pp. 223-260 + “S.
Arabia … » pp. 178-220 + “Turkey…” pp. 313-340.
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14. Modernization and developmental violence. Problems of democratization:
D. Potter et al (ed). Democratization. Ch. 13: S. Bromley, «ME Exeptionalism – Myth or
Reality?» + Ch. 14: N. Ayubi, “Islam and Democracy.”
15. Arab Spring 2011
* Besides books, chapters and articles quoted above, student will have at their disposal a digest of
contemporary politics and developments in the MENA written specifically for this course.
** More detailed information about regional problems and internal developments in individual countries
could be found in Al-Ahram Weekly (regularly commented in class), in the handbook The Middle East and
North Africa (in the Reference section of the Library), and in The Economists Intelligence Unit (in the
journal section of the Library). Basic information on MENA countries could be also found on the BBC
International website (Middle East Guide/ ME/Country Profile/ Timeline).
** Other useful websites: Alarab Online; Alahram Online, Aljazeera.Net; AsiaTimes Online;; B’Tselem;
CEPS –Center for European Policy Studies; Conflict Forum; Egypt Daily News; Electronic Intifada;
Electronic Iraq; Electronic Lebanon; Haaretz; Hurriet; Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU);
International Institute for Caspian Studies; International Relations and Security Network (ISN) –
Managing Information, Sharing Knowledge;Iraqanalysis.com; Masry Al-Youm, Middle East Forum; Iraq
Updates, New Service; Middle East Institute; Middle East Times; Middle East Watch; The Palestine
Chronicle; Today's Zaman; Wikipedia.
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Grading:
5% Attendance
15% Geography test
15% History test
30% Midterm exam
35% Final exam
(students with 5 or more unjustified absences will not benefit from the final curve)
(location of MENA countries on the map; capital cities; names of seas/strategic
maritime waterways; ethnicity; language; religion/sect; historical+ actual
names of important regions)
(major political events and personalities from the times of M. Ali to the end of
WWII)
Essay questions: (1) M. Ali’s dynastic project; (2) The Islamic reform movement:
J. Al-Afghani, M. Abduh and R. Rida;(3) The Young Turk Revolution and the
CUP; (4) The Arab Revolt and the dynastic project of Sherif Hussein; (5) The
carving of Saudi Arabia and the dynasty of the Sauds; (6) Mustafa Kemal, the
war for Turkish independence and his project of modernization;
Essay questions: (1) Nasser and Nasserism;(2) The project of the Baath Party,
and Baath rule in Syria and Iraq; (3) Tthe Palestinian Resistance Movement:
PLO, Fatah and Hamas; (4) The ‘White Revolution’ of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
and the ‘Islamic Revolution’ in Iran; (5) The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, from
1928 to the present..
100% Total
AUC has adopted policies on cheating including plagiarism, which include
suspension or dismissal from the university
PS 308: GEO-TEST - KEY WORDS
Physical geography:
Countries: all Arab League members (21) + Israel, Cyprus, Turkey and Iran. Their geographical
location, size of population and capital cities..
Regions: Near East / Middle East, Maghreb, Mashrek, Fertile Crescent, Asia Minor (Anatolia),
Eastern and Western Thrace, Mesopotamia, Levant, Balkans, Transcaucasia, Turkestan (Eastern and
Western). Turkmenistan; Kurdistan; Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, Fezzan; Crimea; Morea (Peloponnesus),
Thrace (Western and Eastern), Macedonia;, Nejd, Hedjaz, Assir, Hassa;, Hadramouth; Dhofar; TransJordan, Maan; West Bank, Gaza, Golan; Sinai., Siwa, Halayeb; Kabyilia; Darfur, Somaliland,
Hadramouth.
Cities: capital cities of today’s MENA Halayeb; countries + Athens, Thessalonica, Constantinople
(Istanbul), Smyrna (Izmir), Bursa, Erzerum, Alexandretta (Hatay), Aleppo, Latakya, Jerusalem (West and
East), Tel Aviv, Eliat, Akaba, Ramallah, Mossul, Kirkuk, Basra, Ibril, Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Aden,
Baku, Yerevan, Tbilisi, Tabriz, Abadan, Tabriz, Benghazi, Tangiers, Ceuta, Mellila, Fez, Marakesh.
Seas and straits: Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean, Aegean, Ionian, Adriatic, Marmora, Black, Red,
Azov, Dead Sea, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Caspian, Aral, Indian Ocean; Gibraltar, Dardanelles,
Bosporus, Tiran, Bab el Mandab, Hormuz; Gulf of Aden, Akaba Gulf .
Rivers: Euphrates, Tigris, Shat el Arab, Nile (Blue and White).
Islands: Malta, Crete, Dodecanese, Rhodes, Cyprus, Djerba, Socotra, Abu Mussa, Great and
Small Thunb.
Mountains: Caucasus Range, Ararat, Atlas, Riff, Mount Moses, Sion.
Human resources:
Ethnic groups: Arabs, Turks, Turcoman, Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Assyrians (Chaldeans), Persians
(Farsi), Greeks, Slavs, Armenians, Georgians, Jews (Sephardim and Ashkenazi), Berbers, Tuaregs.
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Religion and sect: Islam, Sunni, Shiite (Twelvers), Nusairi (Alavis or Alevis), Druze, Ibadi, Zaidi,
Ismaili; Sufi orders: Nakshabendi, Melveli, Shazliya, Senussya, Mahdya (Ansara), Khatmya; Wahabbite;
Christian communities: Maronites, Greek Catholic, Catholic, Christian Orthodox, Copts; Jazidis.
Schools of Islamic Law: Hanafite or Hanafi (Balkans, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and
China); Malikite or Maliki (Maghreb, Sub-Saharan Africa and Persian Gulf); Shafiite (predominant in
Egypt, Jordan and Lebabon + Southern Arabia, Bahrain and East Africa); Hanbalite or Hanbali (Arabian
Peninsula). The Imamate or Jafarite School is Shi’ite (Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan).
Linguistic families: Semitic (Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic), Indo-European (most of European
languages + Farsi /Persian, Tajik, Kurdish, Armenian, Pashtuni, Urdu, etc), Turkic (spoken in Turkey,
Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan), Berber (Amazigh)..
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