Advanced multidisciplinary research in current issues of political economy and industrialization. Seminars will focus on specific geographical areas or topics with appropriate comparative material included. A major research project is required as well as class presentations. Topics change each semester.

This course explores the political economy of development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It engages three interrelated questions: what types of political regimes and institutions have shaped the historical development of the MENA region since the end of colonialism? What economic strategies and pathways evolved in conjunction with these governing political structures? And, how has this interplay of politics and economics constrained the prospects for growth and prosperity across different societies today? Every week of this course will be devoted to a different theme connected to these questions. Among those weekly topics are historical state formation, authoritarian regimes, late development, oil rentierism, popular mobilization, and globalization, among others. Social dynamics, such as inequality and religion, will factor into our discussions, as will regional crises and wars. In addressing these topics, students will focus on close readings of academic texts, discuss their ideas in class, and complete various written assessments such as response papers and research essays.

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