Resilient Authoritarianism in the Middle East

Lessons from Syria and Iran

Tags: Civil Society in West Asia

While celebrating a historic turning point in Egypt and Tunesia, it is also clear that authoritarianism will remain a prominent feature of Middle East politics. The spectrum of regime types in the region will expand. It may even come to include democracies. Yet as the cases of Syria and Iran demonstrate, not all regimes will experience political openings. Eventhough the region might be transformed in the years ahead, the cases of Syria and Iran remind us that the political landscape of the Middle East will retain familiar and troubling features. This paper presents some key parameters for a rethinking of democracy and reform promotion in this part of the region.