Tuesday, November 28, 4:00 PM EDT - in person at the Middle East Institute, 1736 N St NW, Washington, DC
The Problem of Democracy: America, the Middle East, and the Rise and Fall of an Idea with author Shadi Hamid and Carnegie Endowment's Thomas Carothers
Book Talk | 4:00 - 5:00 PM ET / Reception | 5:00 - 6:00 PM ET
For more info and to register: Register
In The Problem of Democracy: America, the Middle East, and the Rise and Fall of an Idea, author Shadi Hamid explores what he describes as the ‘democratic dilemma,’ the U.S. desire for democracy in theory but not in practice. Hamid cites the rise of Islamist parties during a wave of democratic elections across the Middle East, which he argues produced outcomes the U.S. was not intending, such as the empowerment of Hamas in Gaza following the 2006 Palestinian elections.
Reviewing the lessons learned from the past two decades of U.S. policy in the Middle East, Hamid proposes ‘democratic minimalism’ as a new approach to democracy promotion. Instead of viewing democracy as a tool to usher in liberalism, economic development, and cultural progress, Hamid argues that democracy as an end in of itself should be prioritized over other liberal values.
Please join us at the Middle East Institute for an in-person discussion with author Shadi Hamid and Thomas Carothers, Co-Director and Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict and Governance Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, on the strategy of U.S. democracy promotion abroad, the consequences of the democratic push in the early twenty-first century and the future shape of governance systems globally.
Gönül Tol, MEI Senior Fellow and Director of the Turkey Program, will moderate the discussion.
The discussion will be followed by a reception and book signing.
Please read Hamid’s review article in the Middle East Journal.
Featured Speakers - Shadi Hamid, Columnist and Editorial Board member, The Washington Post; research professor of Islamic Studies at Fuller Seminary
Thomas Carothers, Harvey V. Fineberg Chair for Democracy Studies; Co-Director and Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict and Governance Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace