POS 3260 - Middle Eastern Politics and Government

3 cr

The Middle East has been an important region of the world since the beginning of recorded history. Many of the oldest civilizations arose in this area and made significant contributions to the development of world culture. Today, the region continues to have great significance to the larger world community, culturally, economically, and strategically. This course will be a consideration of the political systems of a number of Middle Eastern and North African nations (from Iraq to Morocco), with special attention not only to the government structures and processes, but also the culture and socio-economic context in which these political systems exist. There will be an emphasis on the dynamic interaction between religious and secular authority, and between tradition and modernity, and how these issues have particularly influenced the development of many of these nations.
Fall semester, alternate years Fall, odd years