Author: Volker Perthes
Publisher: I. B. Tauris
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
Syria under Asad has been one of the key regional powers of the Middle East. Though its political development has been a much-debated subject, there has been no comprehensive study in English of the country's political economy and its evolution since 1970 to the present day. Beginning with an account of economic development and of changing development strategies, Perthes discusses the factors which in the late 1980s precipitated a change in direction from the socialist orientation of the earlier Ba'thist years to ""infitah"" and a larger role for the private sector. He pays particular attention to class structure and class-state relations and examines the nature of the state, the political structure and the mechanisms and dynamics of political decision-making. Addressing the issue of the interplay between economic transformation and political change, Perthes argues that, although a shift in the power structure will not occur under Asad, his regime has created the institutions which will allow a reasonably smooth succession and a creation of a less personalized and more participatory political order.
The Political Economy of Syria Under Asad
Author: Volker Perthes
Publisher: I. B. Tauris
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
Syria under Asad has been one of the key regional powers of the Middle East. Though its political development has been a much-debated subject, there has been no comprehensive study in English of the country's political economy and its evolution since 1970 to the present day. Beginning with an account of economic development and of changing development strategies, Perthes discusses the factors which in the late 1980s precipitated a change in direction from the socialist orientation of the earlier Ba'thist years to ""infitah"" and a larger role for the private sector. He pays particular attention to class structure and class-state relations and examines the nature of the state, the political structure and the mechanisms and dynamics of political decision-making. Addressing the issue of the interplay between economic transformation and political change, Perthes argues that, although a shift in the power structure will not occur under Asad, his regime has created the institutions which will allow a reasonably smooth succession and a creation of a less personalized and more participatory political order.
Publisher: I. B. Tauris
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
Syria under Asad has been one of the key regional powers of the Middle East. Though its political development has been a much-debated subject, there has been no comprehensive study in English of the country's political economy and its evolution since 1970 to the present day. Beginning with an account of economic development and of changing development strategies, Perthes discusses the factors which in the late 1980s precipitated a change in direction from the socialist orientation of the earlier Ba'thist years to ""infitah"" and a larger role for the private sector. He pays particular attention to class structure and class-state relations and examines the nature of the state, the political structure and the mechanisms and dynamics of political decision-making. Addressing the issue of the interplay between economic transformation and political change, Perthes argues that, although a shift in the power structure will not occur under Asad, his regime has created the institutions which will allow a reasonably smooth succession and a creation of a less personalized and more participatory political order.
Syria from Reform to Revolt
Author: Raymond Hinnebusch
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
ISBN: 0815653026
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 360
Book Description
When Bashar al-Asad smoothly assumed power in July 2000, just seven days after the death of his father, observers were divided on what this would mean for the country’s foreign and domestic politics. On the one hand, it seemed everything would stay the same: an Asad on top of a political system controlled by secret services and Baathist one-party rule. On the other hand, it looked like everything would be different: a young president with exposure to Western education who, in his inaugural speech, emphasized his determination to modernize Syria. This volume explores the ways in which Asad’s domestic and foreign policy strategies during his first decade in power safeguarded his rule and adapted Syria to the age of globalization. The volume’s contributors examine multiple aspects of Asad’s rule in the 2000s, from power consolidation within the party and control of the opposition to economic reform, co-opting new private charities, and coping with Iraqi refugees. The Syrian regime temporarily succeeded in reproducing its power and legitimacy, in reconstructing its social base, and in managing regional and international challenges. At the same time, contributors clearly detail the shortcomings, inconsistencies, and risks these policies entailed, illustrating why Syria’s tenuous stability came to an abrupt end during the Arab Spring of 2011. This volume presents the work of an international group of scholars from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. Based on extensive fieldwork and on intimate knowledge of a country whose dynamics often seem complicated and obscure to outside observers, these scholars’ insightful snapshots of Bashar al-Asad’s decade of authoritarian upgrading provide an indispensable resource for understanding the current crisis and its disastrous consequences.
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
ISBN: 0815653026
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 360
Book Description
When Bashar al-Asad smoothly assumed power in July 2000, just seven days after the death of his father, observers were divided on what this would mean for the country’s foreign and domestic politics. On the one hand, it seemed everything would stay the same: an Asad on top of a political system controlled by secret services and Baathist one-party rule. On the other hand, it looked like everything would be different: a young president with exposure to Western education who, in his inaugural speech, emphasized his determination to modernize Syria. This volume explores the ways in which Asad’s domestic and foreign policy strategies during his first decade in power safeguarded his rule and adapted Syria to the age of globalization. The volume’s contributors examine multiple aspects of Asad’s rule in the 2000s, from power consolidation within the party and control of the opposition to economic reform, co-opting new private charities, and coping with Iraqi refugees. The Syrian regime temporarily succeeded in reproducing its power and legitimacy, in reconstructing its social base, and in managing regional and international challenges. At the same time, contributors clearly detail the shortcomings, inconsistencies, and risks these policies entailed, illustrating why Syria’s tenuous stability came to an abrupt end during the Arab Spring of 2011. This volume presents the work of an international group of scholars from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. Based on extensive fieldwork and on intimate knowledge of a country whose dynamics often seem complicated and obscure to outside observers, these scholars’ insightful snapshots of Bashar al-Asad’s decade of authoritarian upgrading provide an indispensable resource for understanding the current crisis and its disastrous consequences.
Authoritarianism in Syria
Author: Steven Heydemann
Publisher: Cornell University Press
ISBN: 9780801429323
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 254
Book Description
State expansion caused the reorganization of social conflict, promoting intense polarization between radicals and conservatives, high levels of popular mobilization, and a shift in the preferences of the Ba'th from an accommodationist to a radically populist strategy for consolidating its system of rule."--BOOK JACKET.
Publisher: Cornell University Press
ISBN: 9780801429323
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 254
Book Description
State expansion caused the reorganization of social conflict, promoting intense polarization between radicals and conservatives, high levels of popular mobilization, and a shift in the preferences of the Ba'th from an accommodationist to a radically populist strategy for consolidating its system of rule."--BOOK JACKET.
Syria under Bashar al-Asad
Author: Volker Perthes
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136056408
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 112
Book Description
Syria entered a new phase with the death of its long-serving leader, Hafiz al-Asad, and the accession of his son Bashar in 2000. While the new president has disappointed much of the hopes for political opening which he himself has created, Syria is clearly undergoing a process of change. The author analyses the factors of economic and political change in the country, and gives a portrait of its new leadership.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136056408
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 112
Book Description
Syria entered a new phase with the death of its long-serving leader, Hafiz al-Asad, and the accession of his son Bashar in 2000. While the new president has disappointed much of the hopes for political opening which he himself has created, Syria is clearly undergoing a process of change. The author analyses the factors of economic and political change in the country, and gives a portrait of its new leadership.
Pan-Turkism
Author: Jacob M. Landau
Publisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN: 9780253328694
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Book Description
Landau's book is important in several respects... it provides exhaustive information on almost every pan-Turk publication and all of its authors and publicists. Landau appears to have consulted every conceivable source, including archives and collections... In addition, the book is useful to students of pan-nationalism and nationalism, for Landau also expertly places all his information into a larger theoretical context. This contribution to the literature is invaluable. -- Journal of Developing Areas... a most worthwhile work, ... It... deserves to be in all library collections on the Middle East. -- Perspectives on Political ScienceLandau has provided an up-to-date compendium of facts concerning the history of these nationalist ideas and movements. Students of nationalism in general and the politics of post-Soviet Central Asia and the Turkish Republic in particular will remain greatly indebted to [Landau] for some considerable time. -- American Political Science ReviewAn examination of relations between Turks in Turkey and their kin abroad -- in Cyprus, the Balkans, and especially in the six ex-Soviet Muslim republics in the Caucasus and Central Asia. This book delineates the special relationship between the new republics and Turkey, which has altered the essence of Pan-Turkism from militant irredentism to practical solidarity in matters political, economic, and cultural.
Publisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN: 9780253328694
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Book Description
Landau's book is important in several respects... it provides exhaustive information on almost every pan-Turk publication and all of its authors and publicists. Landau appears to have consulted every conceivable source, including archives and collections... In addition, the book is useful to students of pan-nationalism and nationalism, for Landau also expertly places all his information into a larger theoretical context. This contribution to the literature is invaluable. -- Journal of Developing Areas... a most worthwhile work, ... It... deserves to be in all library collections on the Middle East. -- Perspectives on Political ScienceLandau has provided an up-to-date compendium of facts concerning the history of these nationalist ideas and movements. Students of nationalism in general and the politics of post-Soviet Central Asia and the Turkish Republic in particular will remain greatly indebted to [Landau] for some considerable time. -- American Political Science ReviewAn examination of relations between Turks in Turkey and their kin abroad -- in Cyprus, the Balkans, and especially in the six ex-Soviet Muslim republics in the Caucasus and Central Asia. This book delineates the special relationship between the new republics and Turkey, which has altered the essence of Pan-Turkism from militant irredentism to practical solidarity in matters political, economic, and cultural.
The Political Economy of Investment in Syria
Author: Linda Matar
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137397721
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 198
Book Description
Linda Matar examines Syria's failure to promote employment-generating investment prior to the uprising. Tackling the thorny issue of the inapplicability of modern investment theory to a developing country, she situates the analysis of investment in Syria in its historical context and examines the socioeconomic structure and political preconditions that set the course of capital accumulation. Matar argues that the class in charge of development, which oversaw the allocation of resources during the Hafiz and Bashar Assad regimes, precipitated a crisis of capital accumulation. Difficult-to-access data and information compiled from fieldwork reveal how neoliberal reforms failed to build productive capacity and instead enriched a few through short-term speculative and mercantile ventures. Productive investment in Syria prior to the uprising lurched downward, and the key related socio-economic variables followed. These deteriorating conditions contributed to the social explosion in 2011. Exploring the poor quality and quantity of investment, this study probes how the cant of the free market served as a veneer behind which the institutional decisions distorted income distribution in a way that would inevitably lead to collapse.
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137397721
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 198
Book Description
Linda Matar examines Syria's failure to promote employment-generating investment prior to the uprising. Tackling the thorny issue of the inapplicability of modern investment theory to a developing country, she situates the analysis of investment in Syria in its historical context and examines the socioeconomic structure and political preconditions that set the course of capital accumulation. Matar argues that the class in charge of development, which oversaw the allocation of resources during the Hafiz and Bashar Assad regimes, precipitated a crisis of capital accumulation. Difficult-to-access data and information compiled from fieldwork reveal how neoliberal reforms failed to build productive capacity and instead enriched a few through short-term speculative and mercantile ventures. Productive investment in Syria prior to the uprising lurched downward, and the key related socio-economic variables followed. These deteriorating conditions contributed to the social explosion in 2011. Exploring the poor quality and quantity of investment, this study probes how the cant of the free market served as a veneer behind which the institutional decisions distorted income distribution in a way that would inevitably lead to collapse.
Asad's Legacy
Author: Eyal Ziser
Publisher: NYU Press
ISBN: 9780814796979
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 248
Book Description
Hafez al-Asad (d. 2000) ruled Syria for 30 of its 55-year history as a modern state. Zisser (Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African studies, Tel Aviv U.) offers a balanced view of Asad's role in elevating Syria to a stable, major Middle East player but with a legacy of authoritarianism and struggles over succession. Includes maps of Syria's frontier with Israel and Lebanon. c. Book News Inc.
Publisher: NYU Press
ISBN: 9780814796979
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 248
Book Description
Hafez al-Asad (d. 2000) ruled Syria for 30 of its 55-year history as a modern state. Zisser (Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African studies, Tel Aviv U.) offers a balanced view of Asad's role in elevating Syria to a stable, major Middle East player but with a legacy of authoritarianism and struggles over succession. Includes maps of Syria's frontier with Israel and Lebanon. c. Book News Inc.
Islamic Revivalism in Syria
Author: Line Khatib
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0415782031
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 264
Book Description
This book describes Syria' s present day Islamic groups ' particularly their social profile and ideology ' as well as offering an explanation of their resurgence. It also examines the government' s shift from promoting secularism to muting secularism and co-opting Islamic sectors.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0415782031
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 264
Book Description
This book describes Syria' s present day Islamic groups ' particularly their social profile and ideology ' as well as offering an explanation of their resurgence. It also examines the government' s shift from promoting secularism to muting secularism and co-opting Islamic sectors.
Authoritarian Apprehensions
Author: Lisa Wedeen
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022665074X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 286
Book Description
If the Arab uprisings initially heralded the end of tyrannies and a move toward liberal democratic governments, their defeat not only marked a reversal but was of a piece with emerging forms of authoritarianism worldwide. In Authoritarian Apprehensions, Lisa Wedeen draws on her decades-long engagement with Syria to offer an erudite and compassionate analysis of this extraordinary rush of events—the revolutionary exhilaration of the initial days of unrest and then the devastating violence that shattered hopes of any quick undoing of dictatorship. Developing a fresh, insightful, and theoretically imaginative approach to both authoritarianism and conflict, Wedeen asks, What led a sizable part of the citizenry to stick by the regime through one atrocity after another? What happens to political judgment in a context of pervasive misinformation? And what might the Syrian example suggest about how authoritarian leaders exploit digital media to create uncertainty, political impasses, and fractures among their citizens? Drawing on extensive fieldwork and a variety of Syrian artistic practices, Wedeen lays bare the ideological investments that sustain ambivalent attachments to established organizations of power and contribute to the ongoing challenge of pursuing political change. This masterful book is a testament to Wedeen’s deep engagement with some of the most troubling concerns of our political present and future.
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022665074X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 286
Book Description
If the Arab uprisings initially heralded the end of tyrannies and a move toward liberal democratic governments, their defeat not only marked a reversal but was of a piece with emerging forms of authoritarianism worldwide. In Authoritarian Apprehensions, Lisa Wedeen draws on her decades-long engagement with Syria to offer an erudite and compassionate analysis of this extraordinary rush of events—the revolutionary exhilaration of the initial days of unrest and then the devastating violence that shattered hopes of any quick undoing of dictatorship. Developing a fresh, insightful, and theoretically imaginative approach to both authoritarianism and conflict, Wedeen asks, What led a sizable part of the citizenry to stick by the regime through one atrocity after another? What happens to political judgment in a context of pervasive misinformation? And what might the Syrian example suggest about how authoritarian leaders exploit digital media to create uncertainty, political impasses, and fractures among their citizens? Drawing on extensive fieldwork and a variety of Syrian artistic practices, Wedeen lays bare the ideological investments that sustain ambivalent attachments to established organizations of power and contribute to the ongoing challenge of pursuing political change. This masterful book is a testament to Wedeen’s deep engagement with some of the most troubling concerns of our political present and future.
Destroying a Nation
Author: Nikolaos Van Dam
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1786722488
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 237
Book Description
Following the Arab Spring, Syria descended into civil and sectarian conflict. It has since become a fractured warzone which operates as a breeding ground for new terrorist movements including ISIS as well as the root cause of the greatest refugee crisis in modern history. In this important book, former Special Envoy of the Netherlands to Syria, Nikolaos van Dam, explains the recent history of Syria, covering the growing disenchantment with the Asad regime, the chaos of civil war and the fractures which led to an immense amount of destruction in the refined social fabric of what used to be the Syrian nation. Through an in-depth examination, van Dam traces political developments within the Asad regime and the various opposition groups from the Arab Spring to the present day, and provides a deeper insight into the conflict and the possibilities and obstacles for reaching a political solution.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1786722488
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 237
Book Description
Following the Arab Spring, Syria descended into civil and sectarian conflict. It has since become a fractured warzone which operates as a breeding ground for new terrorist movements including ISIS as well as the root cause of the greatest refugee crisis in modern history. In this important book, former Special Envoy of the Netherlands to Syria, Nikolaos van Dam, explains the recent history of Syria, covering the growing disenchantment with the Asad regime, the chaos of civil war and the fractures which led to an immense amount of destruction in the refined social fabric of what used to be the Syrian nation. Through an in-depth examination, van Dam traces political developments within the Asad regime and the various opposition groups from the Arab Spring to the present day, and provides a deeper insight into the conflict and the possibilities and obstacles for reaching a political solution.