A program of the Center for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL), focusing on Arab World affairs. CDDRL is a research center at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.
Elections
Scholarly Publications
Islam and Democracy in the Middle East
December 2003
Islam and Democracy in the Middle East provides a comprehensive assessment of the origins and staying power of Middle East autocracies, as well as a sober account of the struggles of state...
Other Publications
Voting for Change: The Pitfalls and Possibilities of First Elections in Arab Transitions
May 2012
The first elections after the fall of authoritarian regimes present an important opportunity for both local and international actors to strengthen transitional processes.
News
Visiting scholar remarks on ridiculing of civilian politics in Egypt
March 2016
In a recent piece in Jadaliyya Magazine, Program on Arab Reform and Democracy Visiting Scholar Amr Hamzawy comments on the growing social discontent with failtures of the military-backed regime in...
Egyptian visiting scholar examines political economy of the Arab world
March 2016
The Program on Arab Reform and Democracy (ARD) at Stanford’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) is pleased to welcome Egyptian economist Samer Atallah as a visiting...
Former minister of industry of Tunisia discusses country's democratic transition [VIDEO]
March 2016
As part of a talk titled "Tunisia's Pathway to Democracy," former Tunisian Ministry of Industry, Energy, and Mines Kamel Ben Naceur spoke at the Program on Arab Reform and Democracy on March 2,...
Events
Arab Barometer Wave IV
March 26, 2018
This event is co-sponsored with The Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies. ABSTRACTThe Arab Barometer is the first and largest project of its kind that gives voice to the opinions and concerns of...
Political Contestation and New Social Forces in the Middle East and North Africa
March 9, 2018
Please note: Registration for the conference is open only to Stanford University affiliates. A valid SUNet ID is required to register. Click here to register.
Tunisia: An Arab Anomaly
February 12, 2018
This event is co-sponsored with The Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies. ABSTRACTThe Arab Spring began and ended with Tunisia.
Projects
Brookings Doha Center-Stanford Project on Arab Transitions
The Brookings Doha Center-Stanford University "Project on Arab Transitions" - a joint initiative between the BDC and the Program on Arab Reform and Democracy at Stanford University's Center on...
English
Political Reform Prospects in Yemen
As in much of the Arab world, 2011 was a year of social upheaval and momentous change for Yemen.
English
Multimedia
Former Minister of Industry of Tunisia Discusses Country's Democratic Transition
March 2016
As part of a talk titled "Tunisia's Pathway to Democracy," former Tunisian Ministry of Industry, Energy, and Mines Kamel Ben Naceur spoke at the Program on Arab Reform and Democracy on March 2, 2016 about his experience in the 2014 technocratic...
The Paradoxes of Political Aid in the Arab World
May 2015
AbstractEuropean and US-based scholars and practitioners have debated the purposes and sometimes the (limited) macro-effects of programs designed to promote transitions from authoritarianism to democracy in Middle East countries.
The Tunisian Transition and the Challenge of Youth Alienation
April 2015
AbstractSocial and economic grievances of Tunisian youth played a major role in igniting the uprising in Tunisia, and more generally, the so-called Arab Spring.
People
Hesham Sallam Research Scholar, CDDRL Associate Director and Research Associate, Program on Arab Reform and Democracy