• Policy Analysis
    LebanonJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    The Limits of Justice in Lebanon—and What It Means for the Future of the Country

    Feb 28, 2024Patricia Karam

    Three years ago this month, the assassination of Lokman Slim—public intellectual, human rights defender, writer and publisher, and outspoken critic of Hezbolla…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelDemocracy and Governance

    Elections in Israel: Possible Scenarios and Outcomes

    Feb 16, 2024Mohanad Mustafa

    With the outbreak of the war on Gaza, there was a consensus in Israel that war was an exceptional emergency in which politics was neutralized, that unity was a…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqDemocracy and Governance

    A Year of Mixed Results for Iraq’s Sudani

    Nov 8, 2023Rend Al-Rahim

    Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shi`a al-Sudani completed his first year in office on October 27 with a mixed record of successes and failures owing to objective…

  • Policy Analysis
    AlgeriaDemocracy and Governance

    In Algeria, the More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

    Oct 3, 2023Patricia Karam

    More than four years have passed since the Hirak protest movement threatened to upend Algeria’s political and military leadership structure. Since then, the co…

  • Policy Analysis
    KuwaitDemocracy and Governance

    Challenges Facing Kuwait’s Parliamentary Democracy

    Sep 12, 2023Imad K. Harb

    Watching Kuwait’s seemingly dysfunctional political scene gives one the impression that the country is on a course toward endless instability and disorder. Las…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqDemocracy and Governance

    Iran’s Hardliners on the March: The Quiet Before the Storm?

    Aug 3, 2023Daniel Brumberg

    The recent redeployment of Iran’s dreaded “morality police” signals much more than a victory for the country’s hardliners. Instead, it seems to be part and par…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelDemocracy and Governance

    Fending for Themselves: The Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority

    Aug 3, 2023Yara M. Asi

    On July 3, 2023, Israeli forces raided the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, with a specific focus on the refugee camp that borders the municipality. Th…

  • Intern Corner
    TunisiaDemocracy and Governance

    Disinformation as a Tool of Regime Survival in Tunisia

    Jul 21, 2023C. Ian DeHaven

    Disinformation—false information created with the intent to mislead others—swamped the 2019 Tunisian presidential election, creating a confused and volatile po…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqDemocracy and Governance

    Sudani’s Premiership Is Failing in the Iraqi Fight Against Corruption

    Jul 12, 2023Patricia Karam

    When Mohammed Shia` al-Sudani became prime minister of Iraq, he made it a priority to combat endemic corruption in the country and help restore citizen trust i…

  • Policy Analysis
    EgyptDemocracy and Governance

    Egypt’s National Dialogue: A Lost Opportunity for National Salvage

    Jul 7, 2023Khalil Al-Anani

    The Egyptian National Dialogue began in May 2023, following a one-year delay since President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi suddenly announced plans for it in April 2022…

  • Policy Analysis
    TunisiaDemocracy and Governance

    Rebuilding Tunisia’s Democracy Will Require a Long-Term Strategy

    Jun 22, 2023Daniel Brumberg

    For now, neither the urban middle class nor the Tunisian General Labor Union seem ready for a full-on collision with the president.

  • Policy Analysis
    TurkeyDemocracy and Governance

    The Erdoğan Doctrine in the Wake of Turkey’s Elections

    Jun 22, 2023Mustafa Gurbuz

    When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced his new cabinet following his victory in the May 2023 presidential election, a positive mood ensued. Turk…