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
ARD Conference Examines Authoritarian Upgrading, Popular Uprisings and Foreign Interventions in the Middle East
October 2019
CDDRL’s Program on Arab Reform and Democracy held its annual conference at Stanford University on October 11 and 12, titled “The Struggle for Political Change in the Arab World.” The conference is...
Georgetown Scholar Analyzes Tunisia's "Vital Election" [VIDEO]
October 2019
In a talk dated October 7, 2019, Georgetown University Associate Professor of Government Daniel Brumberg analyzed the outcome of Tunisia’s legislative election and its implications for democratic...
UC Santa Cruz Scholars Discuss the Origins and Implications of Algeria’s Uprising [VIDEO]
June 2019
In a talk dated May 31, 2019, UC Santa Cruz scholars Muriam Haleh Davis and Thomas Serres examined Algeria’s recent uprising, which led to the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
Events
Egypt’s Exiles: Repression, Polarization and Politics
January 28, 2020
ABSTRACTWhile the phenomenon of Egyptians leaving their homeland in search for work abroad has been ongoing for decades, a new trend has emerged since 2011, namely thousands have expatriated for...
The Struggle for Political Change in the Arab World
September 9, 2019
DAY 1: Friday October 11 8:30 – 9:00am Breakfast 9:00 – 9:15am Introductory Remarks 9:15 – 11:15am Panel 1: The Boundaries of Authoritarianism post-Arab UprisingsAmr Hamzawy,...
Tunisia's Vital Election: Democratic Consolidation in a Divided Society
September 9, 2019
ABSTRACTThis lecture will consider the challenge of moving from a negotiated transition to a consolidated democracy as exemplified by the case critical of 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 
