What political scientists know about occupation, applied to Gaza
Experts on the politics of foreign occupations tackle big questions in this week’s Good Chat.
Why does Biden want Saudi-Israeli normalization so badly?
The Abraham Accords may define a new regional order.
Will Israel further normalize relations with its Arab neighbors?
My research finds that closer ties with Israel means Arab regimes have new tools to repress their own citizens.
Qatar’s first elected parliament may have more power than other Persian Gulf legislatures. Here’s why.
The elected-appointed legislator ratio is one key indicator of parliamentary power
Will the attack on Iran’s nuclear research facility derail U.S. nuclear talks?
The Biden administration will find it difficult to contain Israel and Iran’s escalating tensions.
Saudi Arabia just lifted Qatar’s 43-month blockade. How did this rift end?
A new agreement appears to cover these three points
The U.S. recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara. Here’s what that means.
The Trump administration’s move could complicate efforts to resolve a long-standing territorial conflict.
What do ordinary Arabs think about normalizing relations with Israel?
Our research suggests many oppose normalization but may be reluctant to say so
Why Gulf nations are normalizing ties with Israel
Bahrain is the latest Arab nation to recognize Israel
How terrorism helps — and hurts — Iran
Why Iran supports terrorist groups — and what the consequences can be.
Could the gulf crisis with Qatar be winding down?
Here’s why progress — and diplomacy — might be possible.
Why Jordan’s identity can’t be bought
The deal of the century promises billions of dollars — and a future of regional instability.
Trump’s ‘deal of the century’ ignores reality in the Middle East
The Trump administration’s solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will be unveiled later this month in Bahrain — and a critical U.N. program for Palestinian refugees may be at risk
Is the next Arab uprising happening in plain sight?
Popular protests are on the rise across the Middle East again. What does it mean?
Bashar al-Assad’s international rehabilitation has begun
[caption id="attachment_82196" align="aligncenter" width="960"] In this Sept. 1, 2013, photo,
Mohammed bin Salman’s comeback tour
[caption id="attachment_81172" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, right,
Has Mohammed bin Salman finally gone too far?
[caption id="attachment_78928" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Trump meets Qatar’s emir today. But efforts to resolve the Persian Gulf dispute have already stalled.
[caption id="attachment_72019" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Defense Secretary Jim Mattis stands with
In Egypt, the opposition is calling for a boycott of this month’s election. Will it work?
[caption id="attachment_70354" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Volunteers help voters identify their polling
What are the lessons of the Arab uprisings for Iran’s protests?
[caption id="attachment_67724" align="aligncenter" width="960"] In this photo, by an individual
Why Lebanon’s prime minister resigned
[caption id="attachment_65978" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri resigned
What Saudi Arabia’s purge means for the Middle East
International and domestic crises dominated Saudi Arabia over the weekend. On Saturday,
Everyone is taking sides in the Qatar crisis. Here’s why these four North African states aren’t.
[caption id="attachment_63263" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, left,
Will the International Criminal Court’s latest target in Libya be brought to justice?
[caption id="attachment_63104" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Armed Libyan men wave their national
How Egypt wound up in the center of a Gulf Cooperation Council dispute on Qatar
[caption id="attachment_62679" align="aligncenter" width="960"] FROM LEFT: Saudi Foreign Minister Adel
How a few young leaders are shaking up foreign policy in the Gulf Cooperation Council
[caption id="attachment_62243" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Three big lessons of the Qatar crisis
[caption id="attachment_60977" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Qatar's foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin
Cyberwarfare has taken a new turn. Yes, it’s time to worry.
[caption id="attachment_60848" align="aligncenter" width="960"] (Ritchie B. Tongo/European Pressphoto Agency)[/caption] The
How Trump’s alignment with Saudi Arabia and the UAE is inflaming the Middle East
[caption id="attachment_59460" align="aligncenter" width="960"]in President Trump speaks with Qatar's Sheikh
Why key Arab countries have cut ties with Qatar — and what Trump had to do with it
The decision by five Arab states to sever ties with
What’s going on with Qatar?
Tensions have resurfaced in a sustained media onslaught that has
Will Trump’s ‘principled realism’ let autocrats off the hook?
[caption id="attachment_58806" align="aligncenter" width="960"] President Trump speaks during the Arab
What kind of deal is Trump making with Saudi Arabia?
The optics of Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, where
Where are Europe’s illegal migrants coming from? Surprise: It’s Bangladesh.
[caption id="attachment_58568" align="alignleft" width="960"] A rescuer with the Malta-based NGO
Why Jordan and Morocco are doubling down on royal rule
[caption id="attachment_58366" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Morocco's King Mohammed VI, right, and
The Gulf states are turning to Asia in a big way. Here’s why it matters.
[caption id="attachment_57067" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Saudi Arabia's King Salman leaves with
Hold off on the obituaries for Islamist parties in the Middle East
[caption id="attachment_51548" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Tunisian Ennadha Party supporters wave flags
Is there still hope for Turkish democracy?
[caption id="attachment_50791" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan salutes
How social media undermined Egypt’s democratic transition
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A shop in Tahrir Square is
Why it’s good for dictators to have dictator friends
[caption id="attachment_46240" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, welcomes
The sky fell on the U.S. poultry industry last year. But NAFTA and the TPP helped protect U.S. exports.
[caption id="attachment_45785" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Cage-free chickens forage at an
How Arab authoritarian regimes learned to defeat popular protests
[caption id="attachment_45579" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Riot police chase Bahraini anti-government protesters
U.S. negotiators made sure the TPP agreement reflects U.S. interests. Here’s how we checked, line by line.
[caption id="attachment_44765" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Demonstrators protested in 2015 against legislation
How Middle Eastern monarchies survived the Arab Spring
[caption id="attachment_44203" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders meet
When does Islam generate Western anxiety?
[caption id="attachment_44565" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A girl reads the Koran during
What’s really wrong with the U.S.-Saudi relationship
[caption id="attachment_39400" align="aligncenter" width="908"] President Obama arrives in Riyadh, April
Why some (but not all) Middle East militaries stand by their leaders
[caption id="attachment_38143" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Egyptian security forces and others gather
Why it’s wrong to say that the Arab uprisings failed
[caption id="attachment_37971" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Egyptians wave their nation's flag in
What an innovative new survey technique reveals about Bahraini public opinion
[caption id="attachment_36681" align="aligncenter" width="908"] A Bahraini woman holds a poster
The mixed record of Morocco’s February 20 protest movement.
[caption id="attachment_36080" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Morocco's King Mohammed VI right, and
How Bahrain’s crushed uprising spawned the Middle East’s sectarianism
[caption id="attachment_35676" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Demonstrators chant and wave Bahraini flags
Are we seeing Palestine’s spring at long last?
[caption id="attachment_35614" align="aligncenter" width="908"] FILE: On the wall the Abu
Here’s how falling oil prices could make the world more peaceful and cooperative
[caption id="attachment_20002" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Oil pumps work at sunset in
Does Twitter bridge the Sunni-Shiite divide or make it worse?
[caption id="attachment_34173" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Iranian protesters set fire to the
Why Saudi Arabia escalated the Middle East’s sectarian conflict
The Jan. 2, 2016, execution of Saudi Shiite cleric and
The Arab uprisings as international relations
[caption id="attachment_29517" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Secretary of State John Kerry, second
Lebanese protesters united against garbage… and sectarianism
[caption id="attachment_29366" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Police use water cannons on activists
Why haven't Syrian banks collapsed under sanctions and war?
[caption id="attachment_28050" align="aligncenter" width="908"] The picture of Syria's President Bashar
Why haven’t Syrian banks collapsed under sanctions and war?
[caption id="attachment_28050" align="aligncenter" width="908"] The picture of Syria's President Bashar
Sectarianism after the Saudi mosque bombings
Just seven days after one of the deadliest bombings Saudi
Can there be good Middle Eastern state-owned enterprises?
[caption id="attachment_24407" align="aligncenter" width="620" class="center"] A June 23, 2008 file
The Iran deal sharpens the Persian Gulf region’s sectarian divide
[caption id="attachment_23825" align="aligncenter" width="620" class="center"] Anti-Houthi protesters demonstrate to show
Sectarianism and authoritarianism in Kuwait
[caption id="attachment_23647" align="aligncenter" width="620" class="center "] Emir of Kuwait Sheikh
A bold new Arab vision…for 2009
[caption id="attachment_23239" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Saud
The “invisible hand” of the state in MENA economies
[caption id="attachment_22320" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Emirates passenger planes are parked at
The Arab Thermidor
[caption id="attachment_22001" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Egyptian soldiers stand guard near
What's behind Yemen's recent political turmoil
[caption id="attachment_21625" align="aligncenter" width="620"] A Yemeni man reads a
What’s behind Yemen’s recent political turmoil
[caption id="attachment_21625" align="aligncenter" width="620"] A Yemeni man reads a
The best and worst elections of 2014
[caption id="attachment_21285" align="aligncenter" width="1430"] The global map of electoral integrity,
Why academics can't get beyond moderates and radicals
[caption id="attachment_21194" align="alignnone" width="620"] Protesters from the Islamic Action Front
Why academics can’t get beyond moderates and radicals
[caption id="attachment_21194" align="alignnone" width="620"] Protesters from the Islamic Action Front
The future of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Gulf
[caption id="attachment_21121" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] A Muslim Brotherhood supporter in
Gulf states pursue unique approaches to falling oil prices
[caption id="attachment_20002" align="alignnone" width="620"] Oil pumps work at sunset in
The best Middle East political science books of 2014
[caption id="attachment_19560" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Saudi Shiite protesters demonstrate against the death
Militaries, civilians and the crisis of the Arab state
[caption id="attachment_18780" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Iraqi soldiers parade inside the main
Elite fragmentation and securitization in Bahrain
[caption id="attachment_18700" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Riot police line up to block
The resurgence of Arab militaries
[caption id="attachment_18665" align="aligncenter" width="620"] A supporter of Egyptian President Abdel
Arab autocrats are not going back to the future
[caption id="attachment_18646" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Protesters display a large Jordanian flag
Electoral rules (and threats) cure Bahrain's sectarian parliament
[caption id="attachment_18579" align="aligncenter" width="620"] A Bahraini man votes in Manama
Electoral rules (and threats) cure Bahrain’s sectarian parliament
[caption id="attachment_18579" align="aligncenter" width="620"] A Bahraini man votes in Manama
Sectarianism comes back to bite Saudi Arabia
[caption id="attachment_18229" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Saudi Shiite protesters take part in
Reflections on the Arab uprisings
[caption id="attachment_18237" align="aligncenter" width="5616"] Egyptian anti-government protesters chant slogans as
Multinational war is hard
Things are suddenly moving quickly as various allies start to
Why Egypt’s military orchestrated a massacre
[caption id="attachment_14786" align="aligncenter" width="620"] A poster of deposed Egyptian President
Explaining the Arab uprisings
[caption id="attachment_14646" align="aligncenter" width="650"] More than a quarter-million people flooded
The GCC's national employment challenge
[caption id="attachment_13927" align="aligncenter" width="707"] Foreign laborers work at a construction
The GCC’s national employment challenge
[caption id="attachment_13927" align="aligncenter" width="707"] Foreign laborers work at a construction
What really made the Arab uprisings contagious?
[caption id="attachment_11833" align="aligncenter" width="460" special=""] Egyptian anti-government protesters gather at
The stakes and symbolism of voting from abroad
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="606" special=""] Syrian nationals living in Lebanon
Kuwait’s royals are taking their feuds public
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="606" special=""] Kuwaiti Minister for Cabinet Affairs
Obama is about to wade into an insecure Gulf
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="606"] President Obama leaves the Marine One
Five key questions – and answers – about Iran's social media influence
[caption id="attachment_4169" align="aligncenter" width="979" special=""] (Morningside Analytics)[/caption] The explosion of
Why the Modest Harvest of the Arab Spring?
Joshua Tucker: The following is a guest post from political
Twitter and the Arab Spring: New Evidence
John and I are members (along with Sean Aday, Deen
Mubarak, Obama, and Washington’s Culpability for Arab Dictators
This is a guest post by Jeremy Pressman. His earlier
Tyranny in the Arab Spring
We are excited to welcome the following guest post from
Moral Hazard in Authoritarian Repression and the Fate of Dictators
As part of our continuing relationship with section newsletters of
Why Now? Micro Transitions and the Arab Uprisings
We are pleased to welcome the American Political Science Association's
Election Report: United Arab Emirates
This is a a guest post from Zachary Smith, an
Drezner vs. Slaughter
[Health warning: _very_ long post with extensive quotes, on issues