This course examines the origins of, and political dynamics within, states in the contemporary Middle East. The first part of the course analyses states and state formation in historical perspective - examining the legacies of the late Ottoman and, in particular, the colonial period, the rise of monarchical states, the emergence of various forms of "ethnic" and/or "quasi" democracies, the onset of "revolutions from above", and the consolidation of populist authoritarian states. The second part of the course examines the resilience of the predominantly authoritarian state system in the wake of socio-economic and political reform processes.
Area of Focus: Comparative Politics