This course will provide an academic background on the Middle East politics through referring basically to issues of legitimacy and stability, leadership, political elites, ideologies, parties, civil society and social movements. The topics which will be covered include the state and structures of the Middle Eastern states, political organization, issues of citizenship, ethno-sectarian and religious conflicts, political movements and ideologies, the persistence of Monarchies and authoritarianism, political economy of reform and liberalization processes, and gender, culture, and militarism in the politics of the Middle East and the dynamics of democratization.