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The first Islamist parties to come to power through democratic means in the Muslim world were those in Turkey, Tunisia, and Egypt. The Justice and Development Party (AKP) won the 2002 election in Turkey, and Ennahda (Renaissance Party) in Tunisia and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt were both elected in the wake of the Arab uprisings of 2010/11. Yet only Ennahda could be said to have fulfilled its democratic promise, with both the Turkish and Egyptian governments reverting to authoritarianism. Drawing upon extensive fieldwork in three countries, Sebnem Gumuscu explains why some Islamist governments adhered to democratic principles and others took an authoritarian turn following electoral success. Using accessible language, Gumuscu clearly introduces key theories and considers how intra-party affairs impacted each party's commitment to democracy. Through a comparative lens, Gumuscu identifies broader trends in Islamist governments and explains the complex web of internal dynamics that led political parties either to advance or subvert democracy.
Sommario
Introduction; 1. Modernization, inclusion, and power: explaining Islamist parties' democratic commitments; 2. A theory of intra-party politics: resources and coalitions; 3. The AKP's pivot from liberal democracy to electoral Islamism; 4. Electoral Islamism and killing the dream of a democratic Muslim brotherhood; 5. Ennahda's path towards liberal Islamism; Conclusion.
Info autore
Sebnem Gumuscu is Associate Professor of political science at Middlebury College. She has done extensive fieldwork in the Middle East and published widely on Islamist parties, democracy, and authoritarianism in prestigious journals. She has previously published Democracy, Identity, and Foreign Policy in Turkey: Hegemony through Transformation (co-author, 2014).
Riassunto
Tracing the evolution of Islamist political parties and their rise to power in Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia, Sebnem Gumuscu explains why some remained committed to democracy while others took an authoritarian turn. Drawing on extensive fieldwork in three countries, Gumuscu considers the impact of party affairs on incumbents' democratic commitments.
Prefazione
Traces the evolution of three Islamist governments to explain why some commit to democracy while others devolve into authoritarianism.
