Democratizing the Middle East: implications of Washington s policies

To what extent have military interventions and regime change in Iraq and Afghanistan facilitated democratization in the Middle East and Central Asia? The emergence of political parties and elections have been cited by international observers as major advances towards democracy. Yet the emphasis on the process of democracy risks neglecting constitutional safeguards which ensure its durability and resilience in Muslim societies. This project is a major international collaboration to examine the impact of US foreign policy on promoting democracy among its allies and enemies. This comparative analysis offers a nuanced account of the successes and shortcomings of the democratization enterprise in the Muslim Middle East