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Lindsay J. Benstead is Assistant Professor of Political Science and Director of the Middle East Studies Center at Portland State University. She is currently a Fellow in the Middle East Program and the Global Women’s Leadership Initiative at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC (2018-2019). Her research focuses on identity politics (gender, religion, tribe), clientelism, public opinion, and survey methodology in the Middle East and North Africa. She has conducted surveys in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and contributes to the Transitional Governance Project (http://transitionalgovernanceproject.org/) and the Program on Governance and Local Development, Yale University (http://gld.commons.yale.edu/). She is a Contributing Scholar in the Women’s Rights in the Middle East Program, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University http://bakerinstitute.org/experts/lindsay-j-benstead/). Her research has appeared in Perspectives on Politics, Governance, Politics & Religion, Democratization, and Foreign Affairs.
Europe’s Deep Reservoir of Goodwill in the Middle East: Lessons for Public Diplomacy
Political and economic transitions are seldom, if ever, compartmentalized processes, insulated from regional and global influences. On the contrary, they are often informed and shaped by exogenous forces and the policies of external actors, including states and international organizations. How can external actors develop interventions that are more likely to be well received and thus support transitions to democracy?
The Gender Gap in Political Participation in North Africa
Women’s marginalization from transitional elections, as illustrated in the Arab Spring revolutions in North Africa, is not without consequences. It can impact representation of women’s issues, service provision to women, and electability of female candidates, only further exacerbating the structural marginalization of women.
