Decentralization, local governance, and inequality in the Middle East and North Africa / edited by Kristen Kao and Ellen Lust.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Kao, Kristen., editor.

Lust, Ellen, editor.

Michigan Publishing (University of Michigan), publisher.

Series:

Emerging democracies.

Emerging democracies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Local government--Middle East.

Local government.

Local government--Africa, North.

Decentralization in government--Middle East.

Decentralization in government.

Decentralization in government--Africa, North.

Political participation--Middle East.

Political participation.

Political participation--Africa, North.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xvii, 322 pages) : illustrations.

Place of Publication:

Ann Arbor, Michigan : University of Michigan Press, 2025.

Summary:

While many scholars, policymakers, and development practitioners view decentralization as a way to increase participation, strengthen political representation, and improve social welfare, little is known about the experiences of communities in the context of decentralization - particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. This volume directs our attention toward the ways in which decentralization is "lived locally" by citizens of the MENA region, underscoring the simultaneous influences of individual-level factors (e.g., gender, education) and local context (e.g., development levels, electoral institutions) on governance processes and outcomes. A group of international scholars brings together methodologically diverse, original research in Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, and Tunisia to expand the literature on decentralization. Following a preface by Hicham Alaoui, the empirical chapters are arranged into three thematic sections. These focus on subnational variations in the relationships between central and local actors, citizen engagement with state and non-state institutions, and the extent to which representatives reflect their local communities. Together, these chapters provide important insights into governance, participation, and representation in the MENA and open new questions for furthering the study of governance and local development. Only by unpacking perspectives and governance experiences at the micro-level can we understand how decentralization policies affect citizens' everyday lives.

Contents:

Introduction : Decentralization and local governance: lessons from the MENA / Ellen M. Lust and Kristen Kao

Decentralization : design and implementation

1. Municipal boundaries and the politics of space / Intissar Kherigi

2. Continuities and ruptures in local governance in Daraa, Syria / Marika Sosnowski

Participation

3. Citizen petitions to Moroccan municipalities : a case of unequal inclusion? / Francesco Colin and Sylvia I. Bergh

4. Local elections and service provision under Lebanon's postwar party cartel / Christiana Parreira

5. How gender and local state capacity shape citizens' use of the mosque / Steven Brooke and Monica C. Komer

Representation

6. Success beyond gender quotas : gender, local politics, and clientelism in Morocco / Marwa Shalaby and Carolyn Barnett

7. Local political priorities during Tunisia's first democratic municipal elections / Alexandra Domike Blackman, Julia Clark, and Aytug Şaşmaz

8. Beards, mustaches, and power : the traits of male leadership in Morocco / Matt Buehler and Freddy Gergis

Conclusion : Decentralization in the Middle East and North Africa : findings and implications / Ellen Lust and Kristen Kao.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on information from the publisher.

ISBN:

9780472904754

0472904752

Access Restriction:

Unrestricted online access