European and US Democracy Assistance in the Middle East and North Africa
| Module title | European and US Democracy Assistance in the Middle East and North Africa |
|---|---|
| Module code | ARA3198 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Professor Lise Storm (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 20 |
|---|
Module description
The module aims to provide you with an understanding of the subject of European and US democracy assistance in the Middle East and North Africa in the wake of the Arab Uprisings. The module makes use of a number of academic texts, practitioner reports and policy papers on European and US democracy assistance and the state of the region's regimes. The module does, in other words, include material which is theoretical and/or empirical in nature. By utilizing different types of texts it is hoped that you will gain the skills to discuss the topic of European and US democracy assistance both in a country-specific and a theoretical setting. A final aim is to provide you with a level of knowledge that allows you to discuss the topic of European and US democracy assistance and the state of democracy, not only in the selected cases, but across the Middle East and North Africa.
This module on European and US democracy assistance in the Middle East and North Africa is designed for those students, who have an interest in the Middle East and current affairs, most notably the Arab Uprisings. Among the key issues that will be discussed are how much the political systems appear to have changed in the different Arab states in the wake of the Arab Uprisings, if the European states and the US could realistically have done more to assist democratization, and whether they should be supporting democracy in the region at all. In other words, by taking this module you will be facing the current events; topics that are new and relatively unchartered in the academic literature, and therefore exciting but also challenging. If you enjoy a challenge, if you find current events fascinating, and if you enjoy debating, this module is for you. There are no long lectures, a lot of active student participation and very few 'correct' answers - everything is up for discussion, albeit in an academic manner.
No prior knowledge skills or experience are needed to take this module. There are no pre-requisites and co-requisites, but students are expected to have a general interest in the Middle East, democracy and current affairs. The module is suitable for students who are studying the Middle East as well as non-specialist students. The module is also suitable for students that do not have a social science background, as long as they have a general interest in the Middle East, democracy and current affairs.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The module aims to provide you with an understanding of the subject of European and US democracy promotion in the Middle East and North Africa. The module makes use of various books, practitioner reports and policy papers on European and US democracy support, all of which are both theoretical and empirical in nature. You will gain the skills to discuss the topic both in a country specific and a theoretical setting. A final aim is to provide you with a level of knowledge that allows you to discuss the topic of European and US democracy assistance and the state of democracy, not only in the selected cases, but across the Middle East and North Africa.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of key issues in the debate on European and US democracy promotion, including international relations and development studies;
- 2. demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the state of democracy in the Middle East, not only at the regional level, but also in individual cases.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. find, use and analyze secondary and primary data relevant to specific issue areas, particularly Middle Eastern current affairs;
- 4. place issues discussed in a wider context and deploy critical arguments relevant to the field of Middle East politics and international relations.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. demonstrate critical and analytical skills through readings, class/group discussions and presentations;
- 6. exhibit your ability to undertake political analysis at an advanced level.
Syllabus plan
The module will consist of 11 sessions which will emphasize different aspects of democracy support, the debates in international relations, the different types of actors, and the challenges and opportunities facing these. Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- The history of democracy promotion
- Debates in international relations
- Who supports democracy? Case study on party assistance
- Domestic politics challenging democracy support: the Daily Mail effect
- Local politics: populism and corruption
- Local reception of democracy support: who do you think you are?
- Illiberal alternatives and appeal
- Youths: disaffection, perceptions and priorities
- How to overcome the challenges of democracy support
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 22 | 11 x 2hr sessions consisting of a mix of mini-lectures, workshops and class/group discussion with presentations organized around a specific theme for each session |
| Guided Independent Study | 75 | Reading for assignments and preparing for class /group discussion |
| Guided Independent Study | 10 | Synopsis preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | 35 | Essay preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | 8 | Presentation preparation |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentations (individual or group) | 10 minutes per person or 20 minutes for larger groups, including a PowerPoint, Prezi or similar slideshow. | 5-6 | Oral feedback from the lecturer; peer feedback form |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synopsis | 20 | 800 words | 1-6 | Written feedback from the lecturer |
| Essay | 80 | 2,000 words | 1-6 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synopsis | Synopsis (800 words) | 1-6 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Essay | Essay (2,000 words) | 1-6 | August/September re-assessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
Alessandri, Emiliano, Oz Hassan and Ted Reinert (2015) 'U.S. Democracy Promotion from Bush to Obama', Euspring, working paper no. 1. Available online at http://aei.pitt.edu/64170/1/us_dem_promotion_april15.pdf.
Babayan, Nelli and Thomas Risse (eds) (2015) 'Democracy Promotion and the Challenges of Illiberal Regional Powers', Democratization 22(3).
Börzel, Tanja (2015) 'The noble west and the dirty rest? Western democracy promoters and illiberal regional powers', Democratization 22(3): 519-35.Bridoux, Jeff and Milja Kurki (2014) Democracy Promotion: A Critical Introduction. London: Routledge.
Burnell, Peter (2017) Promoting Democracy Abroad. London: Routledge.
Bush, Sarah Sunn (2015) The Taming of Democracy Assistance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Carapico, Sheila (2014) Political Aid and Arab Activism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Carothers, Thomas and Marina Ottaway (eds) (2009) Uncharted Journey: Promoting Democracy in the Middle East. Washington, D.C.: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Ciplak, Bilal and Ahmet Keser (2016) 'The Militarization of the Turkey's Democracy Promotion Policy in the Arab Middle East (AME)', International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention 5(10): 63-75.
Dandashly, Assem (2018) 'EU democracy promotion and the dominance of the security-stability nexus', Mediterranean Politics 23(1): 62-82.
Huber, Daniela (2015) Democracy Promotion and Foreign Policy. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Ikenberry, John, Thomas Knock, Anne-Marie Slaughter and Tony Smith (2009) The Crisis of American Foreign Policy: Wilsonianism in the Twenty-first Century. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Isaac, Sally Khalifa (2014) 'Explaining the Patterns of the Gulf Monarchies' Assistance after the Arab Uprisings', Mediterranean Politics 19(3): 413-30.
Magen, Amichai, Thomas Risse and Michael McFaul (eds) (2009) Promoting Democracy and the Rule of Law. London: Palgrave.
McKoy, Michael and Michael Miller (2012) 'The Patron's Dilemma: The Dynamics of Foreign-Supported Democratization', Journal of Conflict Resolution 56(5): 904-32.
Mounck, Yascha (2018) The People vs Democracy. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Yanguas, Pablo (2018) Why We Lie About Aid. London: Zed.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Online library
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 19/10/2018 |
| Last revision date | 28/01/2022 |
