The Government and Politics of the Middle East and North Africa (4th Edition) - Softcover

Long, David; Reich, Bernard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0813338999 ISBN 13: 9780813338996

Publisher: Westview Press, 2002

Synopsis

As the leading college-level textbook on political systems in the Middle East and North Africa, the fourth edition of The Government and Politics of the Middle East and North Africa is comprehensive in scope and up-to-date in coverage. This edition addresses changes in the Middle East such as weakening public-sector economics in oil-producing states, the communications revolution, and continued rapid population growth. Contributors are highly qualified scholars and professionals writing on each country, all following a common outline, yet focusing on the particulars of the political system under discussion.

Rapid social, economic, and political change is endemic to the Middle East and is often more revolutionary than evolutionary in nature. In many ways, the entire political landscape of the Middle East has been transformed in the past decade in the realm of both international relations and domestic politics: The collapse of the Soviet Union, the end of the cold war, and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait have all had a profound effect on relations among states within the region and between those states and countries outside the region. In this revised edition, Long and Reich provide comprehensive and up-to-date analyses of many critical contemporary events and issues. The contributors explain how Desert Storm isolated Iraq and brought Syria back into the mainstream of Arab politics, contributing to the revival of the Arab-Israeli peace process. They also show how the return of a Labor government in Israel has allowed the peace process to go forward. Evaluating the economic costs of the Kuwait war and the continuing oil glut, the authors find that resulting changes in the domestic economies of the oil-producing states have created additional pressures for social and political change. The most profound change in government and politics, however, is the rise of Islam as the idiom of political discourse among moderates as well as extremists.

About this title

About the Author:

David E. Long is a consultant on the Middle East. He is retired from the US Foreign Service and has taught and lectured extensively on Middle Eastern subjects. He is the author of numerous books and articles on various aspects of the Middle East politics and international relations, including Israel: Land of Tradition and Conflict (Westview, 1993). Bernard Reich is professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University. He is the author of numerous books and articles on various aspects of Middle East politics and international relations, including Israel: Land of Tradition and Conflict (Westview, 1993).

Review:

"Comprehensive in scope and clear in style." -- -James Piscartori, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations

About this edition

• Publisher: Westview Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0813338999
• ISBN 13: 9780813338996
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 4
• Number of pages: 512