POL 3641 Politics of the Middle East
The course on Politics in the Middle East is designed to answer the following questions: What explains the dynamics of this region known as the Middle East? Why is political development so difficult to achieve in the Middle East? What are the factors contributing to the Arab-Israeli conflict? What are the future prospects for war and peace in the Middle East? The course is divided into two parts. The first part reviews the role of religion and nationalism and examines the different political systems and governments found in the region to better understand the 21st Century Middle East. The second part covers the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Gulf Region, and U.S. involvement in the Middle East to assess the possibility for long-lasting democracy, prosperity, and peace.