Unfulfilled Aspirations : Middle Power Politics in the Middle East

"The concepts and theories of what constitutes a 'Middle Power' have played a key part in explaining the identity, behavior and foreign policy roles of many states in the international system, including the United Kingdom, France, Australia and Brazil. But, with a few exceptions, these frameworks have failed to travel to scholarship on the Middle East, despite the theoretical and empirical potential that they offer for understanding regional dynamics. The first of its kind, this volume addresses that major gap by interrogating the conceptual, theoretical and empirical underpinnings of the concept of 'Middle Power' at a regional level. Composed of nine chapters, Unfulfilled Aspirations offers the conceptual and theoretical tools to examine 'Middle Powerhood' in the Middle East, as well as insightful empirical analyses of both 'traditional' Middle Powers in the region (Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Algeria) and new, aspiring ones (Qatar, the UAE). The contributors reveal that the Middle Powers of the Middle East have failed, despite their best efforts, to fulfill their regional aspirations."-- Provided by publisher Cover Page Title_Pages Acknowledgments About_the_Contributors IntroductionMiddle_Powers_in_the_Middle_East Middling_or_MeddlingOrigins_and_Constraints_of_External_Influence_in_the_Middle_East Middle_Power_Theory_at_the_Regional_LevelAn_Analytical_Framework_for_the_Middle_East Middle_Eastern_Middle_PowersThe_Roles_of_Norms_in_Mediation_and_Conflict_Prevention A_Giant_Afraid_of_its_ShadowAlgeria_the_Reluctant_Middle_Power Egypts_Middle_Power_Aspirations_Under_elSisi IranAspirations_and_Constraints The_Kingdom_and_the_GlorySaudi_Arabia_as_a_Middle_Power_in_the_Contemporary_Middle_East SmallState_Aspirations_to_MiddlepowerhoodThe_Cases_of_Qatar_and_the_UAE The_UAEA_Small_State_with_Regional_Middle_Power_Aspirations Notes Index Blank Page Blank Page The concepts and theories of what constitutes a 'middle power' have played a key part in explaining the identity, behaviour and foreign policy roles of many states in the international system, including the United Kingdom, France, Australia and Brazil. But, with a few exceptions, these frameworks have failed to travel to scholarship on the Middle East, despite the theoretical and empirical potential that they offer for understanding regional dynamics. This book addresses that major gap by interrogating the conceptual, theoretical and empirical underpinnings of the concept of 'middle power' at a regional level The first volume of its kind to address concepts and theories of what constitutes a 'Middle Power' in the Middle East