Social and Political Change

Analyzing social and political trends throughout the region

For more than a decade, calls for social and political change have ricocheted throughout the region. Governments have responded, and their citizens have responded as well. The consequences of the resultant alliances and struggles affect events in individual countries, inspire regional observers, and help shape how governments engage regionally and globally. The Middle East Program tracks social and political trends on a national and regional level to better understand where the region is heading over the next few decades and where it came from.

 

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Photo: AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images

Photo: AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images

Ties that Bind: Family, Tribe, Nation, and the Rise of Arab Individualism

The Arab world is experiencing a revolution. States have relied on pyramids of authority that reach down through society, often through tribes into families. Yet those ties are fraying, and individualism is rising.

Report by Jon B. Alterman — December 2, 2019

Photo: NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP via Getty Images

Photo: NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP via Getty Images

Work on the Move

Bolstering livelihoods for displaced populations in the Middle East

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Featured Analysis

Photo: FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Photo: FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Five Factors Mean the Middle East Is Not Back to Normal

In a new commentary, Jon Alterman discusses five major factors that place Middle Eastern governments in a weaker position today than in 2011. He explains how their position is likely to decline even further and what this means for the future of the region.

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — May 23, 2023

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Everyday Choices: A Conversation with Dr. Ellen Lust

Presented by Middle East Program
October 10, 2023 • 11:30 am – 12:30 pm EDT

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Do Leaders Want Gaza Negotiations to Succeed?

The United States, Egypt, and Qatar have called for Israel and Hamas to come together on Thursday to reach a ceasefire deal. While the meeting may take place, there is no good public evidence that either leadership believes it is done fighting.

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — August 9, 2024

A Fishy Business in Port Said

As Egypt’s economic crisis continues, price hikes have hit the fish market especially hard. In response, Egyptians in Port Said have turned to a fishy boycott to express displeasure. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

Blog Post by Salmah Elmasry — July 30, 2024

Israel’s Not-Quite-Founder’s Syndrome

As Israel becomes increasingly bogged down in Gaza, Jon Alterman argues that Israeli leadership does not have a strategy to exit the conflict.

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — March 11, 2024

A Different Two-State Solution

The ongoing Israel-Hamas war has brought the two-state solution back to the forefront. Jon Alterman explains that reviving the solution will require expanding definitions and reimagining relations between Israel and Palestine.

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — January 10, 2024

Israel’s Third Juncture in History

Jon B. Alterman, director of the Middle East Program, argues that Israel is facing a third juncture in its history. The current judicial reform bill will shape the kind of democracy it becomes and risks permanently disenfranchising millions of Israelis.

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — July 24, 2023

Support for Refugees Erodes in the Middle East

Anti-refugee sentiment is on the rise in the MENA region as economic crises worsen and aid decreases. In a new commentary, Will Todman calls for innovative solutions from global actors to ease host community burdens, shelter victims of violence, and mitigate hostilities.

Commentary by Will Todman — June 5, 2023

Libya’s Civil Society Crackdown Exacerbates Its Climate Woes

Libyan authorities are trying to silence independent voices in the run-up to planned elections, but the crackdown undermines the work of civil society more broadly. Lubna Yousef and Will Todman argue that this strategy is self-sabotaging.

Commentary by Lubna Yousef and Will Todman — May 2, 2023

Deaths of Despair

With unemployment in the Middle East reaching alarming levels, Jon B. Alterman explores the potential consequences of the region's economic growth and energy transition on its youth population, and with it, the critical choices governments should make to avoid crises.

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — February 21, 2023