Perspectives on Politics, Volume 13, Issue 03, September 2015, pp 898-899 Michael Herb is an accomplished scholar of the Gulf Arab states and his new book appeals to the growing academic and policy interest in the sub-region.
Perspectives on Politics, Volume 13, Issue 03, September 2015, pp 898-899
Michael Herb is an accomplished scholar of the Gulf Arab states and his new book appeals to the growing academic and policy interest in the sub-region. Conducting research in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states presents challenges: state surveillance, lack of transparency in government decision-making, including access to basic demographic and economic data, and the cultural aversion to discussing political matters publicly. Herb makes an important move forward in the field by applying both methodological discipline and standard concepts of comparative politics to his cases.
Divisions among Libya’s political, security, and financial institutions remain a key obstacle to the political transition process, and foreign powers still stoke many of these divisions for their own strategic interests.
Muqtada al-Sadr’s announcement that he will boycott upcoming parliamentary elections has thrown the electoral process into disarray at a time when the future stability of Iraq depends on legitimate and transparent elections.
The recently announced U.S.-led G-7 infrastructure plan will need to play catch up if it is going to compete with China's more established Belt and Road Initiative.
Through its careful examination of the forces shaping the evolution of Gulf societies and the new generation of emerging leaders, AGSIW facilitates a richer understanding of the role the countries in this key geostrategic region can be expected to play in the 21st century.
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