... American Universities around the Mediterranean and Beyond: The Case for Support by the Obama Administration Richard L. Jackson The balance of hard and soft power will inevitably shift with the Obama administration in Washington. Rebuilding US alliances...

... in Morocco, and also president of the nonprofit Diversity Institute, which promotes community development and reconciliation inside the United States. Creating a New Era of Islamic-Western Relations by Supporting Community Development...

... to struggle between traditional support for Israel and newfound support for Lebanese democracy. The international community should capitalize on Hezbollah's damaged public image following its 2006 war with Israel and pursue a multiparty disarmament effort, to include incentives for the major regional players...

...Stephen Blank The Obama administration touts the reset policy with Russia as one of its signal achievements in foreign policy. One of the key elements of its argument is Russia’s help with Iran. Upon closer inspection it appears, however, that this support is tenuous and limited. Indeed, we may...

... trade and whether they support institutions that support greater free trade. Liberal economic theory emphasizes that producers and consumers change preferences as a result of internationalization of economies, so the response of smallholder farmers should be similar in all coffee-exporting countries...

...Spyridon N. Litsas Since 2010 Greece has been between a rock and a hard place. In particular, since May 2010 the so-called troika (European Commission, International Monetary Fund, and European Central Bank) has provided financial support to Greece through an economic adjustment program while...

... supported the regime of Bashar al-Assad and the latter backed the military coup in Egypt. Turkey needed the support of its North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies against these two rival blocs. However, Erdogan's populist discourse and tendency toward Islamist authoritarianism further deteriorated...

... vis.à.vis Europe, as seen in the massive electoral support given to the Islamist but pro.EU Justice and Development Party (AKP), there is a growing culturally rooted opposition against the idea of Turkish membership in Europe. Why is it that in Europe, which is generally considered behaviorally...

... to the perceived strengths of the party, with Islamic rhetoric rising and falling with the support the party receives. The results suggest that the AKP cannot be seen as a party that had always intended to turn Turkey into a religious country. The strategies undertaken by the party since early in the twenty-first...

...Jonathan M. Kerman; Kathryn L. Wood Iran’s historical flirtation with democracy has been one of thwarted desires. The 1906 Constitutional Revolution introduced the concepts of liberal democracy to Iranian society, but success was limited by the lack of support from the ulama (clergy). After decades...

... policy, demonstrating that, besides its pragmatic features, it reveals idealistic motives, especially since 1991. These motives issue from a rich nexus of historical, religious, and cultural bonds, resulting in support for essentially idealist legal norms and ethical values that defend the rights...

... of unrest are largely illuminated by varying degrees of societal support for monarchical regimes, deep-seated societal cleavages, and the deficiencies of political mobilization. The variation in state responses, in turn, is mainly explained by divergent financial resources, the quality of political...

... “normal” citizens. The imperatives of international mobility have forced a country, in a sense, to redraw its boundaries and to acknowledge a different status for a section of its population from a province that it continues to claim. This essay unpacks the puzzle of why supporters of the “integral Kosovo...

..., and cultural ties, especially with Turkey, Israel, and the Arab states of the Persian Gulf region. Through its modern history, Albania has been a good example of a politically and economically weak state exercising a fairly consistent asymmetric foreign policy based on the support of great powers...

.... The AKP is supported by a new generation of businessmen from Anatolia. This essay uses the conflict between the two to spotlight the competing networks of businessmen and politicians that dominate present-day Turkey. Reuben Silverman holds a master’s degree in international studies from...

... necessity for China’s involvement in great power dynamics, the improvement of its international environment, and the strengthening of its development resilience. China faces a number of daunting challenges in implementing this grand strategy. These challenges include seeking support from regional powers who...

..., or (3) test whether Islamic countries are able and willing to support the current international liberal order, including freedom of conscience on matters of faith. Greece's current weakness means it will have to accommodate whatever choice European leaders make. Ismini A. Lamb is director...

..., it is imperative for Arab countries to establish substantial economic reforms in parallel with political change to enable their populations to remain in their homelands. The international community should support the MENA countries by introducing a “New Deal” to help lead to sustainable development and political...

..., it also exposes a small state's limited capability to provide support for the parliament's external relations. With specific reference to the Mediterranean, we find that there is considerable room for improvement, even with some evident obstacles, such as the lack of continuity in parliamentary...

... and to seek support for its territorial integrity. In the long run, it regards its political and economic futures as connected with the West. Meanwhile, the Middle East offers an alternative to mitigate pressure from Russia and to develop mutually beneficial relations with Turkey and Israel, with whom...