Several years after the Arab Spring began, democracy remains elusive in the Middle East. While Tunisia has made progress towards democracy, other countries that overthrew their rulers - Egypt, Yemen, and Libya - remain in authoritarianism and instability. This volume provides a foundational exploration of the Arab Spring's successes and failures.

• Introduction


• 1: Theorizing the Arab Spring


• 2: Lineages of Repression


• 3: Breakdowns and Crackdowns


• 4: Post Breakdown Trajectories


• 5: Why Breakdowns Did Not Always Produce Transitions

Jason Brownlee is an associate professor of Government and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. His current focus is on violence during political transitions and U.S.-Egyptian relations.
Tarek Masoud is an associate professor of public policy at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he teaches courses on comparative political institutions, democratization, and Middle Eastern politics.
Andrew Reynolds is an Associate Professor of Political Science at UNC Chapel Hill and the Chair of Global Studies. He received his M.A. from the University of Cape Town and his Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego. His research and teaching focus on democratization, constitutional design and electoral politics. He is particularly interested in the presence and impact of minorities and marginalized communities.