
The 2011 Arab uprisings precipitated the relatively quick collapse of a number of Middle Eastern states once perceived as invincible. The Tunisian and Egyptian states succumbed to revolutionary upheavals early on, followed by that of Qadhafi's Libya. Yemen's President Saleh was also eventually forced to give up power. A bloody civil war continues to rage in Syria. These uprisings highlighted weaknesses in the capacity and legitimacy of states across the Arab Middle East. This book provides a comprehensive study of state weakness-or of 'weak states'-across the Greater Middle East.No other book examines the subject of weak states in the Middle East. Fragile Politics begins with laying the theoretical framework for the study of weak states, examining the theoretical controversies surrounding the topic, the causes and characteristics of weak states, and their consequences for the Middle East. It then looks at a series of case studies, examining various themes within the study of weak states in relation to each case study.
This book investigates the structural causes, characteristics, and regional consequences of state weakness within the Greater Middle East following the 2011 Arab uprisings. Mehran Kamrava, a scholar of Middle Eastern politics, utilizes a comparative political framework to analyze why regimes once perceived as stable collapsed or faced significant upheaval. The text synthesizes theoretical debates on state capacity and legitimacy to explain the fragility of governance in the region.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Experts identify this work as a foundational text for understanding the structural vulnerabilities of Middle Eastern regimes during the early 21st century. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the author's systematic approach to applying political science theory to specific regional case studies.
Page Count:
288
Publication Date:
2016-04-15
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0190246219
ISBN-13:
9780190246211
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