Policy Analysis

While Iraq’s new electoral law did have some successes, the reforms it attempted to achieve will only be able to come to fruition if the Iraqi electorate is convinced that elections can make a tangible difference in their lives.

Iraqis are preparing to participate in the country’s most important elections since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003. As all parties prepare for the ballot, interviews with those who choose to participate and those boycotting it emphasize what’s at stake.

Algeria’s new elections law threatens to derail progress on women’s participation in country politics and leadership.

Iraqi PM Kadhimi’s recent visit demonstrates a positive vision of U.S.-Iraqi relations and improved confidence among Iraqi leaders.

As Tunisia’s political crisis continues, it is crucial to understand how the disputes between the President and legislative branch have unfolded over the past few months, contributing to Tunisia’s economic and public health emergencies.

While plagued by difficulties and divisions, the hope created by the Hirak movement is still alive, and Algerians should work to cultivate it.

Reforms are needed to open greater opportunities for Iraqi women's political representation.

If the Biden administration is serious about addressing human rights violations, it should push for a more democratic, free, and just government in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Unregulated weapons, corruption, and mismanagement are pushing Iraq's political system towards potential collapse.

Without radical reform, Iraq faces potential dissolution and geographic fragmentation in the case of an increasingly likely economic crisis.

The Kadhimi government must move quickly if it wants to avoid a potential popular uprising among dissatisfied Shias in Iraq.

Islamist influences, independent candidate lists, and low participation rates all threaten the success of Algeria's upcoming legislative elections.

Iraqi Kurdistan's Komal party faces a difficult dilemma as it seeks a more reformist direction.

After more than a decade of feuding, Palestinian factions face an opportunity for change.

Algeria's divided political system has limited time to make critical reforms.

Gridlock and economic stagnation are testing the Arab world's only functioning democracy.

While Iraqi elites seem to see the announcement of early elections as a major development, polling reveals that Iraqi public opinion is less optimistic about the moves ability to promise major change.

Egypt’s upcoming elections are shining the spotlight on the parliament’s deteriorating performance and credibility.

Months after the overthrow of Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, Sudan’s main opposition coalition and the ruling military council finalized a power sharing deal with the hopes of forging a path towards legitimate elections and civilian rule. However, the tools that Bashir used throughout his reign remain deeply embedded in

The population of the Middle East and North Africa is facing an imminent, severe water crisis, with a number of potentially disastrous consequences for the region. This water crisis—devastating in and of itself—also means food shortages and famine. Moreover, this additional pressure on the region’s most vulnerable is likely to