Elections and Enhancing Political Participation in Lebanon, Egypt, and Iraq

This project will examine the roles elections and electoral systems play in enhancing participation during political transition in the Middle East. Where democratic systems comprise more than just elections, they do serve as the primary vehicle for political participation and are thus vital for the functioning of any democratic system. Therefore, the reform, adaptation, or creation of electoral systems is a site of intense political competition in societies undergoing political change. An examination of electoral reform in Lebanon, electoral adaptation in Egypt, and electoral creation in Iraq will provide new understandings of how political participation may be enhanced and how conflict may be managed in the Middle East.