Stay ConnectedMiddle East Law and Governance (MELG) is a peer-reviewed journal for scholarly analysis on issues pertaining to governance and social, economic, and ideological transformation in the MENA region.
On the MELG podcast, we talk to the journal’s contributors about their work and current events in the region.
The podcast is hosted by MELG advisory board member, Ezra Karmel.
Copyright: © All rights reserved
In this episode, Ezra Karmel speaks with Prof. F Gregory Gause III. The discussion focuses on current developments in the Middle East (including the recent conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States) and considers how Gause's analytical framework helps us understand contemporary regional politics. The conversation is inspired by a recent Middle East Law and Governance roundtable in which Fred Lawson, Morten Valbjorn, Curtis Ryan, May Darwich, Lisa Anderson, Marc Lynch, Jillian Schwedler and Bassel Salloukh revisit, debate, and build on Gause's work, highlighting its enduring influence on the field.
In this episode, Ezra Karmel speaks with Sean Yom and Pete Moore about their recent special issue in MELG, "Reconceptualizing Security and Political Economy in the Modern Middle East," which includes articles on Syria and Yemen. We focus on their own contribution in the issue, which focuses on the extreme militarization, delving into how this system is perpetuated discussing the centrality of Jordan to American foreign police in the region. The special issue can be accessed here: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/16/3/melg.16.issue-3.xml *Please note that this episode was recorded prior to the launch of the conflict with Iran.
In collaboration with the Governance Uncovered podcast of the Governance and Local Development Institute (GLD), Ellen Lust moderates a discussion on decentralisation and local governance in the Middle East and North Africa, focusing in particular on Tunisia, Lebanon, and Jordan. She is joined by Intissar Kherigi, Christiana Parreira, and Ezra Karmel.
In this episode, Ezra Karmel speaks with Francesco Cavatorta and Hendrik Kraetzschmar about their recent special issue in MELG examining multiparty coalition government in the Arab MENA. We discuss key features of coalition formation, composition, and duration/durability, why they have grown in prevalence, what they can teach us about coalitions in other contexts (including Israel).
In this episode, we speak with Dana and Diana about the recent special issue in MELG focusing on recentering society in the study of Palestinian politics. We discuss what the post-Oslo period looks like, how resistance is changing, and where research on Palestine could develop. You can check out the special issue we are discussing on the Brill website: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/14/3/melg.14.issue-3.xml
In this episode, Ezra speaks with Jillian Schwedler about her new book, "Protesting Jordan: Geographies of Power and Dissent". She discusses the relationship between space and protest – and the long history of protest in the Kingdom.
In this episode, Meriem Guetat and Meriem Agrebi discuss governance in Tunisia amidst Covid-19, highlighting what the situation tells us about the narrative of Tunisia’s democratic exceptionalism following the 2011 revolution. The podcast revolves around the recent article that they co-wrote as part of part of MELG’s recent special issue on governance in the MENA amidst Covid. You can read the article here: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/14/1/article-p128_008.xml
In this episode, we speak with Mona Harb and Ahmad Gharbieh about the varying modalities of Covid governance in Lebanon. We discuss the different responses of sectarian and non-sectarian actors to the pandemic and how they played out geographically. The podcast revolves around the recent article that they co-wrote with Mona Fawaz and Luna Dayekh. The articles is part of MELG’s upcoming special issue on governance in the MENA amidst Covid. You can read the article here: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/aop/article-10.1163-18763375-14011293/article-10.1163-18763375-14011293.xml Mona also recently spoke about her research on "Governance Uncovered": a podcast produced by the Program on Governance and Local Development that discusses local politics and development worldwide: https://soundcloud.com/gldresearch
In this episode, we speak with Jan Völkel and Paul Esber about their new special issue, "Parliaments in the Middle East and North Africa: A Struggle for Relevance”. You can read the issue here: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/13/3/melg.13.issue-3.xml
In this episode, we speak with Erika Biagini and Lucia Ardovini about continuity and change in the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood since the 2013 coup. The discussion draws from a recent MELG special issue co-edited by Lucia and Erika: https://brill.com/view/journals/melg/13/2/melg.13.issue-2.xml
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
