05.06.2014

Lecture by Steven HEYDEMANN : Authoritarian Governance & Mass Politics

June 17, 6-8 pm, R. 124 (IfP)

Three years after the uprisings of 2011, the initial euphoria that greeted the resurgence of mass politics in the Middle East has given way to a far more somber mood: a recognition of the limits of mass protests to bring about political change, and an acknowledgement that the region's entrenched authoritarian regimes are more resilient than many protesters imagined. In responding to the challenge of mass politics authoritarian regimes in the MENA have also changed, giving rise to new and more troubling forms of authoritarian governance. These new forms may enhance regime survival, but are unlikely to prove effective in addressing the underlying causes of mass protests. Regime adaptations to mass politics thus suggest that the turmoil of recent years may be only the beginning of an extended period of political instability, violence, and repression in many parts of the Middle East.

Steven Heydemann will be teaching as “Distinguished Visiting Professor” at the Institute of Political Science in Tübingen from 2014 to 2016 for several weeks per year. His academic path includes Yale University, Columbia University and the European University Institute in Florence and he is the founding director of the Center for Democracy and Civil Society at the Georgetown University. Steven Heydemann currently serves as the vice president of Applied Research on Conflict at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C. where he also directs the Institute's Syria programs.