An Introduction to Middle East Politics

The Middle East has undergone enormous change since 9/11, from the invasion and occupation of Iraq to the events of the 'Arab Spring'. An Introduction to Middle East Politics engages with questions of democratisation and political reform in the region. It covers: Historical Legacies; The Ottoman Empire, WWI, colonialism and the Cold War; nationalism and Islamist politics Authoritarianism in Egypt, Algeria and Syria; political changes in Iran; the politics of oil in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States; Israel, the Palestinians and the Arab States Intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq The recent uprisings in the Arab World, human rights, social movements and social media   Each chapter opens with helpful learning objectives and concludes with study questions. Annotated bibliographies aid further reading, whilst the companion website provides links to additional material.   This book will prove a fascinating read for both undergraduate and postgraduate students of Middle East Politics and related courses across Politics and International Relations.

Table of Contents:
PART ONE: THE FORMATION OF THE MODERN STATE SYSTEM The Ottoman Empire and its Legacy in the Middle East Introduction The Middle East in the Imperial Era The Middle East's Religious and Imperial Heritage The People of the Ottoman Empire The Emergence of National Identities The Legacy of Ottoman Rule in the Middle East Ottoman Rule in the Middle East The 'Tanzimat' Reforms and "Modernisation" The Military and Political Authority Europe and the Ottoman "Sick Man" Conclusion The Colonial Period in the Middle East Introduction The Dawn of European Colonialism in the Middle East World War I and Turkey The Arab Revolt and the Hussein-McMahon Correspondence Balfour Declaration Sykes-Picot Agreement Versailles Treaty and the League of Nations Mandates The Republic of Turkey Colonies, Protectorates, and Client States The Interplay of Ottoman and Colonial Legacies Centralised Rule New Elites and New Institutions Control of the Religious Sphere The Cultural Challenge Dependency Palestine and Israel Zionism The King-Crane Commission The British White Papers and the Arab Revolt British Colonialism in Iraq Conclusion Superpower Rivalry and the Cold War in the Middle East Introduction WWII and a New International Relations of the Middle East The Establishment of Israel The Cold War in the Middle East Geopolitics and Cold War Allegiances in the Middle East An Arab Cold War: Egypt and Saudi Arabia The Lebanese Civil War The Iran-Iraq War and Cold War Machinations Conclusion Nationalism, Islamism, and the Politics of Ideology Introduction Ideology and Politics in the Middle East Nationalism Middle Eastern Nationalisms Political Islam Islam as a Political Ideology in the Contemporary Middle East Conclusion PART TWO: POLITICAL DYNAMICS OF THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST Authoritarianism in the Middle East Introduction Understanding Authoritarianism Authoritarian Rule in the Middle East Examples of Authoritarianism in the Middle East Conclusion Oil, Economy, and Development in the Middle East Introduction An Economic Overview of the Middle East The Politics of Oil Liberalisation and Reform Conclusion The Military, Security, and Politics in the Middle East Introduction The Military and Politics in the Middle East The Middle East and the Nuclear Question Terrorism and Political Violence in the Middle East Conclusion PART THREE: CONTINUING CRISES IN THE MIDDLE EAST US Military Intervention in the Middle East Introduction US Intervention in Iraq US Intervention in Afghanistan Post-Iraq US Interventionism in the Middle East Conclusion Israel, the Palestinians, and the Peace Process Introduction The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process The Parameters of Negotiations Competing Norms and Competing Narratives The Israeli-US Relationship Conclusion Democratisation and the Arab Uprisings Introduction Understanding Democratisation in the Arab Middle East Uprisings, War and Transition in the Arab World The Arab Uprisings Conclusion

About the Author :
Dr Benjamin MacQueen is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Political and Social Inquiry at Monash University. His research and teaching focuses on the politics of conflict, its resolution, and issues surrounding post-conflict reconstruction with a specific emphasis on the Middle East and North Africa, with publications including American Democracy Promotion in the Changing Middle East: From Bush to Obama (London: Routledge, 2013), with Shahram Akbarzadeh, James Piscatori, & Amin Saikal and Political Culture and Conflict Resolution in the Arab World: Lebanon and Algeria (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2009).

Review :
Ben MacQueen has provided the perfect introductory textbook for students of the Middle East, galloping through the region's modern political history, and signposting all the key events and issues in a lively, accessible and structured manner. Teachers of undergraduate Middle East Politics have been waiting for this one. Emma C. Murphy School of Government and International Affairs, The University of Durham This is an expansive survey of Middle East politics that takes into account not only novel topics, such as human rights, environment and democratization, but also geographies that are generally neglected in such studies. Benjamin MacQueen captures the dynamics of continuity and change in the region and does so in a quite accessible manner to students and general readers. This is a comprehensive view of the region in the post-Arab uprisings era and an essential textbook on Middle East politics. Meliha Benli Altunisik Department of International Relations, Dean of the Graduate School of Social Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey Teaching Middle Eastern politics during the throes of the so-called Arab Spring is both exciting and daunting. Exciting because the peoples of the region seem closer to genuine democracy than ever before, and daunting because we have few scholarly guides to this new reality. For decades, scholarship on the Middle East tended to focus on the longstanding continuities in that region, leaving students ill-equipped to fathom the sources of and possibilities for change. MacQueen's textbook is thus a welcome companion to any course that seeks to help students understand the region's newfound political dynamism. Written with insight and verve, and covering a vast amount of terrain with efficiency and accuracy, this is likely to be the single best textbook in the field. Tarek Masoud Associate Professor of Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University The book by MacQueen is a dynamic text that will accompany its readers - both students and practitioners - in a journey throughout the political development of the region by highlighting the changes and continuities that have always characterised this part of the world. -- Silvia Colombo