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This book examines the processes of transition from authoritarian rule in Tunisia and Egypt between 2011 and 2014, arguing that differences between the two countries can be explained by the conduct of their respective political parties. Drawing on a new conceptualization of political parties' agency that considers their unique nature as intermediate and intermediary institutions, the book allows for the identification of those factors driving political parties' choices in processes of transition. Moreover, thanks to the employment of quantitative text analysis on the electoral manifestos of the parties involved, this work presents new data for the study of party systems in Tunisia and Egypt. Presenting a new toolkit for analysis, Tunisia and Egypt after the Arab Spring ultimately reveals how differing legacies of authoritarian repression across the two countries can help explain why the Tunisian transition culminated with the 2014 democratic constitution, and the Egyptian transition with the 2013 military coup.

AbstractAlthough the failed democratic transition in Egypt following the Arab Spring is unanimously held as a poster child for the stubbornness of authoritarianism in the MENA region, its determinants remain disputed. Contributing to this debate, this article focuses on the noxious effects of past electoral authoritarianism on the transitional party system. More specifically, through quantitative text analysis, the article demonstrates that transitional parties' agency is largely the by-product of the way in which political competition was structured under the previous electoral autocracy. On the one hand, the uneven structure of opportunity upholding previous rule is central to the lack of pluralism. On the other hand, the previous regime's practice of playing opposition actors against each other through identity politics is at the root of the absence of common ground among the aforementioned parties during the transition.

Elections in the Middle East and North Africa / Francesco Cavatorta and Valeria Resta -- The functions of authoritarian elections : symbolism, safety valves and clientelism / Matt Buehler and Calista Boyd -- Elections and the management of plurality in Algeria / Thomas Serres -- Parliamentary elections under Mohamed VI's reign (2002-2021) / Inmaculada Szmolka -- Electoral districts in Jordan : an analytical study / Mohamed Torki Bani Salameh -- Elections in Mauritania : the role of the military / Raquel Ojeda-Garcia and Samara Lopez-Ruiz -- "Only Me" : Repression, Legal Engineering, and State-Managed Elections in Sisi's Egypt / Hesham Sellam -- Israel's Electoral System and Political Instability : Electoral Fragmentation, Party Unity and the Prime Ministers' Political Leadership / Maoz Rosenthal -- When free and fair elections are not enough. Party fragmentation and unaccountability in Tunisia / Ester Sigillo -- Pre-electoral coalitions in Iraq : the case of the Communist-Sadrist alliance Paride Turlione -- Elections and democratic backsliding in Turkey / Sebnem Gumuscu -- From one-sect one-vote to one-man one-vote? Demands for reforming the electoral system in Lebanon / Rosita Di Peri -- Competition under systemic religious constraints : presidential elections in Iran / Pejman Abdolmohammadi -- The management of elections in Tunisia : the Independent High Authority for Elections / Mohamed Chafik Sarsar and Nidhal Mekki -- Partial and non-partisan : the municipal council elections in Saudi Arabia / Hendrik Kraetzschmar -- Elections in the Arab world : international monitoring and assistance / Pietro Marzo -- The independence referendum in Kurdistan / Sara Dilzar Mustafa -- Gender Quotas, Constituency Service, and Women's Empowerment : Lessons from Algeria / Meriem Aissa -- A minority goes to the polls: Arab voters in Israel / Arik Rudnitzki -- Elections in Occupied Palestine : control, resistance and contention / Francesco Saverio Leopardi

"This handbook analyses elections in the Middle East and North Africa and seeks to overcome normative assumptions about the linkage between democracy and elections. Structured using five thematic sections, contributors provide chapters detailing how their case studies speak to the broad theme, while also detailing how their studies illustrate specific themes within individual country settings. Authors disentangle the various aspects informing elections as process in the Middle East through taking into account the different contexts where the electoral contest occurs and placing these into a broader comparative context. The findings from this handbook connect with global electoral developments, empirically demonstrating that there is very little that is 'exceptional' about the Middle East and North Africa when it comes to electoral contests. Routledge Handbook on Elections in the Middle East and North Africa is the first book to examine all aspects related to elections in the Middle East and North Africa. Through such comprehensive coverage and systematic analysis, it will be a key resource for students and scholars interested in politics, elections, and democracy, in the Middle East and North Africa"--

AbstractBreaking with a long tradition of political quietism, many Salafis in Tunisia and Egypt decided to found political parties and participate in competitive elections after the collapse of the regime. In doing so, they had to present a political program to voters, including policy proposals on economic issues. The article examines how Salafi parties dealt with economic policy-making and finds that they reluctantly engaged with it, offering contradictory and naïve policies meant to pander to the electorate. Policy-making preferences and positions on economic issues are employed to look at the degree of party institutionalization Salafi parties have.

Youth activism, political parties, political generations, social change, Middle East, North Africa

Analyses political parties and party politics in the contemporary Arab worldThe Middle East is a region notorious for political systems traditionally built around absolutist monarchs and military-dependent presidents. What is the role of political parties in such a context? How do they support or undermine such authoritarian forms of rule? What part have they played in the survival and transformation of political systems after the Arab uprisings? What are the policy preferences of party elites and how do they connect with citizens' expectations? How do parties challenge and reflect the main social cleavages? Finally, what is the genuine significance of parties and party politics in a region struggling for some sort of democratic future? This book attempts to answer these questions through a thorough theoretical and empirical examination and analysis of the most important aspects and traits of political parties and party politics in the Arab world, exploring cases from across the region.Key FeaturesSets out an innovative research agenda on a under-studied topicProvides a comparative perspective on political parties across the regionAnalyses the ways in which political parties in the Arab world matter and develop Offers a more systematic understanding of the functioning of Arab regimes by incorporating the role political parties play in themIncludes case studies of Iraq, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Kuwait, Lebanon and PalestineContributorsLarissa Alles, University of St. Andrews Aurelie Daher, Université Paris-Dauphine Loes Debuysere, Ghent UniversitySophie A Edwards, Independent ResearcherAnass El Kyak, Université LavalManal A. Jamal, James Madison University Amir Magdy Kamel, King's College London‪Hendrik Kraetzschmar, University of LeedsRaquel Ojeda-García, University of GranadaZoltan Pall, National University of SingaporeValeria Resta, University of Milan Anne Wolf, University of Cambridge and University of OxfordMohammad Yaghi, Queen's University in Kingston