Exploring the political economy of development and democracy in the Middle East, this book provides new insight into the effects of external initiatives for the support of good governance in Arab states, the impact of transnational Islamist networks on democratization in the Middle East, and the role of new satellite broadcasting in the Arab world.

Introduction: International Top-Down Democratization of the Middle East?; D.Jung PART I: DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES AND THEIR INTERNATIONAL AND TRANSNATIONAL CONTEXTS Authoritarian Politics and External Support for Good Governance in the Arab World; O.Schlumberger Transnational Islamist Networks and the Prospects of Democratization in the Middle East; T. Scheffler New Religious Programming: The Impact of Satellite Broadcasting in the Arab World; J.Skovgaard-Petersen PART III: THREE CASE STUDIES ON LIBERALIZATION PROCESSES IN THE MIDDLE EAST Neo-Authoritarianism: Democratization as a Means of Stabilizing Authoritarian Rule in Contemporary Egypt; M.Kassem State-Economy Relations as State-Building: The Politics of Economic Liberalization in Syria; S.Schmidt The Political Economy of Islam and Democracy in Turkey: From the Welfare Party to the AKP; Z.Önish Conclusions: Democratizing the Middle East: Trying to Square the Circle?; D.Jung