POLS 059. Middle East Politics (CP)

The Middle East is widely perceived as a bastion of authoritarian regimes and political instability. What explains the persistence of authoritarian rule and why have citizens across the region risen up to try to overthrow dictators and authoritarian regimes during the Arab Spring? By learning about key questions and debates in the field of Middle East politics, this course aims to give students a critical understanding of politics in the region. The course is organized thematically and (more or less) chronologically. We will examine prominent explanations for the democratic deficit in the Middle East and challenge the notion that the region is completely devoid of competitive and meaningful politics. More specifically, we will explore the ways in which a variety of factors - including prominent issues such as foreign intervention, politics of repression, persistent authoritarianism, oil, and religion, among others - has affected domestic politics in Middle Eastern countries. We will consider several different aspects of domestic politics, including political Islam, political behavior, and party politics. We will end the course by building on what we have learned to make sense of the 2010-2011 “Arab Spring” uprisings and role of social media, in an effort to understand whether these recent developments mark change or continuity.
Comparative
Social Sciences.
1 credit.
Eligible for GLBL-Paired
Fall 2024. Kimya.
Catalog chapter: Political Science
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/political-science

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