Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
  1. Home
  2. Books
  3. Democracy or Authoritarianism
  • Cited by 21
      • Show more authors
      • You may already have access via personal or institutional login
    • Select format
    • Publisher:
      Cambridge University Press
      Publication date:
      March 2023
      March 2023
      ISBN:
      9781009178259
      9781009178235
      9781009178242
      DOI:
      https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009178259
      Dimensions:
      (229 x 152 mm)
      Weight & Pages:
      0.62kg, 312 Pages
      Dimensions:
      (229 x 152 mm)
      Weight & Pages:
      0.454kg, 312 Pages
      • Subjects:
      Middle East Studies, Area Studies, Politics and International Relations, Comparative Politics, Middle East Government,Politics and Policy
    You may already have access via personal or institutional login
    • Selected: Digital
    Add to cart View cart Buy from Cambridge.org
    Subjects:
    Middle East Studies, Area Studies, Politics and International Relations, Comparative Politics, Middle East Government,Politics and Policy
    Information

    Book description

    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.

    Reviews

    ‘Through extensive fieldwork, Gumuscu offers a detailed, carefully researched empirical analysis of Islamist political parties, focusing on intra-party politics and factional struggles. This pathbreaking study is indispensable to understanding the dynamics of the Islamist political parties and their role in the contemporary politics of Egypt, Tunisia, and Turkey.’

    Sabri Sayarı - Sabancı University

    ‘This is a crisp analysis of the different trajectories of Islamist parties in Egypt, Tunisia, and Turkey. Developing a refreshing perspective on the highly contingent nature of the relationship between Islam and democracy, Gumuscu's compelling narrative suggests the viability of more positive outcomes in an era of democratic retrenchment.’

    Güneş Murat Tezcür - University of Central Florida

    ‘This is comparative politics at its very best. Grappling with the timely question of why some Islamist parties remain committed to democracy once in power while others experience democratic backsliding, Gumuscu leverages a rich body of primary research to argue for intra-party competition as the causal factor. Readers have gained a powerful tool via Gumuscu's tour de force.’

    Nora Fisher Onar - University of San Francisco

    ‘Gumuscu not only contributes to the literature analyzing the relationship between Islamist parties and democracy but also to the broader literature on political parties.’

    Jülide Karakoç Source: Middle East Journal

    ‘… the book convinces with a very rich data basis, retracing historical developments of the three parties/movements and reminds us that it is important to assess how and what type of democracy is perceived and interpreted by (different levels within) key actors.’

    Jan-Erik Refle Source: Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft

    Refine List

    Actions for selected content:

    Select all | Deselect all
    • View selected items
    • Export citations
    • Download PDF (zip)
    • Save to Kindle
    • Save to Dropbox
    • Save to Google Drive

    Save Search

    You can save your searches here and later view and run them again in "My saved searches".

    Please provide a title, maximum of 40 characters.
    Cancel
    ×

    Contents

    Contents
    • Introduction
      pp 1-22
        • You have access
      • PDF
      • HTML
      • Export citation
    References

    Metrics

    Altmetric attention score

    Full text views

    Total number of HTML views: 0
    Total number of PDF views: 0 *
    Loading metrics...

    Book summary page views

    Total views: 0 *
    Loading metrics...

    * Views captured on Cambridge Core between #date#. This data will be updated every 24 hours.

    Usage data cannot currently be displayed.

    Accessibility standard: Unknown

    Why this information is here

    This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.

    Accessibility Information

    Accessibility compliance for the PDF of this book is currently unknown and may be updated in the future.