الإقتصاد السياسي في المرحلة الإنتقالية
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This event will discuss contemporary Tunisian political economy, focusing on post-uprising economic reforms and the ongoing political struggles over their form and content. The first segment will consist of a general chronology of economic reforms in Tunisia after the revolution. It will situate those reforms in a regional context, especially the Deauville compact--a multilateral initiative launched at the G8 meeting in May 2011 which sought to put in place a series of action to reinforce “good governance.” It will also discuss the political role of technical assistance, as well as the way the debt mechanism functions in Tunisia. Finally, it will discuss the links between the legislative and executive branches, as well as their respective roles within the putting forward of economic proposals and their interactions with the international financial institutions.
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The second more specific panel will discuss changing investment laws and especially the new investment code. The latter allows for considerably expanded latitude for foreign corporations to invest in Tunisia. It will also discuss the World Bank-imposed educational reforms, which are part of a broader project of WB-imposed economic restructuring. The presentations will discuss the broader context within which the WB is trying to push agreements on Tunisia in exchange for needed loan funds. It will then discuss the specific reforms the WB is pushing in the educational sector. Specifically, the WB is aiming to privatize higher education through a system of public-private partnerships. It is also seeking to change the curriculum, especially in economics. They are seeking to remove parts of the curriculum concerned with economic thought and theory, and then to divide it into technical skills: marketing and commerce. The goal is to strengthen the current emphasis in Tunisia on “innovation,” and not give the public the skills to interpret economic policies. Similarly within political science, they want to take out portions of the curriculum treating public finance, public policy, and the World Bank.
List of Participants and Paper Titles
- Max Ajl, Introduction to Political Economy
- Jihen Chandoul, The Deauville Partnership, at the Origin of the Political Economy of the Transition in Tunisia
- Sabra Chraifa, The Debt Mechanism: An Instrument of Political Economy
- Layla Riahi, The Balance of Power between the Legislature and the Executive in Economic Policy: the Example of Public-Private Partnerships
- Ouns Messaadi, Diplomacy and Political Economy: What Influence
- Ghassan Raqiqi, Strengthening the Role of Citizens over Economic Policy
CONFIRMED EVENTS
First Workshop (April 24-25, 2015)
"Development and the Uprisings"
Location: ASI Office, George Mason
Second Workshop (June 14-15, 2015)
"The Arab Uprisings: Class Formation and Class Dynamics"
Location: SOAS, London
Third Workshop (September 14, 2015)
"The Palestinian Economy: Fragmentation and Colonization"
Location: Birzeit University, Ramallah
Fourth Workshop (September 17, 2015)
"Tunisia: An Economy in Transition"
Location: Tunis, Tunisia
Fifth Workshop (October 8, 2015)
"Turkey: Migrant States and Mobile Economies"
Location: GMU, VA
Sixth Workshop (November 6, 2015)
"Political Economy of the Middle East: Continuities and Discontinuities in Teaching and Research"
Location: GMU, VA
Seventh Workshop (November 7, 2015)
"Pedagogy Workshop"
Location: GMU, VA
Eighth Workshop (February 19-21, 2016)
“New Directions in Middle Political Economy"
Location: Stanford, CA
First Workshop (April 24-25, 2015)
"Development and the Uprisings"
Location: ASI Office, George Mason
Second Workshop (June 14-15, 2015)
"The Arab Uprisings: Class Formation and Class Dynamics"
Location: SOAS, London
Third Workshop (September 14, 2015)
"The Palestinian Economy: Fragmentation and Colonization"
Location: Birzeit University, Ramallah
Fourth Workshop (September 17, 2015)
"Tunisia: An Economy in Transition"
Location: Tunis, Tunisia
Fifth Workshop (October 8, 2015)
"Turkey: Migrant States and Mobile Economies"
Location: GMU, VA
Sixth Workshop (November 6, 2015)
"Political Economy of the Middle East: Continuities and Discontinuities in Teaching and Research"
Location: GMU, VA
Seventh Workshop (November 7, 2015)
"Pedagogy Workshop"
Location: GMU, VA
Eighth Workshop (February 19-21, 2016)
“New Directions in Middle Political Economy"
Location: Stanford, CA
