The Middle East and the World Economy
Title: The Middle East and the World Economy
Principal Investigator: Matthew Harding
Dates: September 1, 2008 - August 31, 2011
Sponsor: Presidential Fund for Innovation in International Studies
Why has the Middle East fallen behind in economic progress relative to much of the developing world and what implications has this underdevelopment had for the emergence of the two overarching trends in Middle Eastern politics today: authoritarian government and Islamic fundamentalism? In addition, how has political instability originating from the Middle East impacted world markets and oil prices? This project seeks to answer these interrelated questions with two larger objectives. The first is to understand the underlying macro- and micro-level economic determinants of both Islamic fundamentalism and authoritarian rule in the Middle East. The second is to assess the extent to which these two political outcomes have impacted the stability and prosperity of the world economy. This research program represents an attempt to investigate these highly important, yet underdeveloped, research areas.
Why has the Middle East fallen behind in economic progress relative to much of the developing world and what implications has this underdevelopment had for the emergence of the two overarching trends in Middle Eastern politics today: authoritarian government and Islamic fundamentalism? In addition, how has political instability originating from the Middle East impacted world markets and oil prices? This project seeks to answer these interrelated questions with two larger objectives. The first is to understand the underlying macro- and micro-level economic determinants of both Islamic fundamentalism and authoritarian rule in the Middle East. The second is to assess the extent to which these two political outcomes have impacted the stability and prosperity of the world economy. This research program represents an attempt to investigate these highly important, yet underdeveloped, research areas.