Theme Panel: Democracy and Its Discontents in the Middle East

Democracy and Its Discontents in the Middle East

The enthusiasm for the possibility of democratic change in the Middle East generated by the 2011 Arab uprisings has long since given way to the grim recognition of autocratic retrenchement and state failure. How have the political failures since 2011 shaped political thought and behavior in the region? What lessons does this experience hold for political science and its theoretical engagement with the prospects for democratization, the role of civil society, and the durability of autocracy? This theme panel brings together leading scholars from diverse subfields, methodologies and specializations to assess the viability of democratic political theory and practice in dark times.

Participants:
Marc Lynch, George Washington University (Chair)
Michaelle L. Browers, Wake Forest University (Presenter)
Ellen M. Lust, University of Gothenburg (Presenter)
Tarek E. Masoud, Harvard University (Presenter)
Lisa Wedeen, University of Chicago (Presenter)
Sean L. Yom,Temple University (Presenter)