Studying the Arab World After the Arab Spring

Political scientists weighed in on new directions and opportunities for research in the region at the 2012  Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS) Annual Conference.  Participants were asked: “What new and innovative research questions do you think have become particularly urgent, feasible, or relevant? How would those research questions fit into wider debates in the field of political science?”

Their answers, and my own modest offering, can be found in a new POMEPS briefing.   The briefing contains memos from political scientists with expertise in a variety of countries of the Arab World.

POMEPS was created in 2010 in part to build the capacity of Middle East experts to engage and inform policy-makers, the public sphere, and other political scientists about the region. Marc Lynch, its founder, describes POMEPS and the discussions at the recent conference here.


In Morocco,  the Arab Spring is not over for the activists of the February 20th movement.  They are planning protests for June 24th, against high prices, political arrests, and ongoing repression of the movement.  Some political cartoons, posted by February 20th activists recently:

Revolution's surprises:

And, against the plan to expand the high speed rail: