A Political Economy of the Middle East

This is a revised and updated analysis of the interactions of economic development, state systems and social factors promoting or blocking change in the Middle East. This integrated and analytical text presents a comprehensive analysis of the transformation of the political economy of development in the contemporary Middle East over the past few decades. Extensively rewritten and revised, the third edition of "A Political Economy of the Middle East" retains a focus on the interaction of economic development processes, state systems and social factors, whilst also documenting the many changes in demography, education, labour markets, urbanization, water and agriculture, and international labour migration in the Middle East in the past ten years. It considers the effect of rising oil prices on reinforcement of authoritarian governance in the region; refines its assessment of the "Washington Consensus" to provide a more nuanced approach to the issue of the shifting balance of state and market in economic growth and reform; and presents Islamism as a vital force in the region that is nonetheless a vast, diverse social movement with many conflicting participants.