Government and Politics of the Contemporary Middle East ─ Continuity and Change

This exciting new edition of the successful textbook for students of Middle Eastern politics provides a highly relevant and comprehensive introduction to the complexities of a region in constant flux. Combining a thematic framework for examining patterns of politics with individual chapters dedicated to specific countries, the book places the very latest developments and long-standing issues within an historical context, introducing key concepts from comparative politics to further explore the interaction between Middle Eastern history and the region’s contemporary political development.

Presenting information in an accessible and inclusive format, the book offers:

‧ coverage of the historical influence of colonialism and major world powers on the shaping of the modern Middle East.

‧ a detailed examination of the legacy of Islam.

‧ analysis of the political and social aspects of Middle Eastern life: alienation between state and society, poverty and social inequality, ideological crises and renewal.

‧ case studies on countries in the Northern Belt (Turkey and Iran); the Fertile Crescent (Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, Israel/Palestine); and those West and East of the Red Sea (Egypt and the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council), moving through an historical examination to close analysis of the most recent developments and their political and social impacts.

‧ extensive pedagogical features, including original maps and further reading sections, provide essential support for the reader.

A key introductory text for students of Middle Eastern politics and history at advanced undergraduate and postgraduate levels, this new edition has been extensively updated to also become a timely and significant reference for policy-makers and any motivated reader.

Tareq Y. Ismael is Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary, Canada. He is Secretary General of the International Association of Middle Eastern Studies and founding co-editor of theInternational Journal of Contemporary Iraqi Studies. His research interests and numerous publications centre on ideologies in the Middle East and international and domestic politics in Middle Eastern countries, with focus on Iraq.

Jaqueline S. Ismael is Professor of Social Work at the University of Calgary and founding co-editor of theInternational Journal of Contemporary Iraqi Studies. Her research interests and publications focus on Canadian social policy, international social welfare and social change in the Middle East, on which she has authored numerous articles and books. Her latest book in this area is Iraq in the Twenty-First Century: Regime Change and the Making of a Failed State (2015), co-authored with Tareq Y. Ismael.

Glenn E. Perry is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Indiana State University. He has published extensively on Middle Eastern political affairs and International Relations, includingThe International Relations of the Middle East: Subordination and Beyond (2014), which he edited with Tareq Y. Ismael.