Decentralization, Local Governance, and Inequality in the Middle East and North Africa

About the Edited Volume

While decentralization is often seen as a means to enhance participation and representation, little is known about its local impact in the MENA region. This volume examines how citizens experience decentralization, highlighting the roles of individual factors (e.g., gender, education) and local contexts (e.g., development levels). 

Featuring original research from Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, and Tunisia, the chapters are organized into three thematic sections: 

• The design and implementation of decentralization 
• Participation in the context of decentralization 
• Representation in decentralization 

These insights deepen the discourse on governance and local development, emphasizing the need to understand how decentralization policies affect citizens’ daily lives. 

The volume is co-edited by Ellen Lust and Kristen Kao  (University of Gothenburg) and is set to be published by the University of Michigan Press in January 2025. Both the book and its translated chapters will be accessible as open-access resources. 

Collaborators

Alexandra Blackman  (Cornell University),  Aytug Sasmaz  (Bryn Mawr College) and  Julia Clark  (World Bank).

Sylvia Bergh  and  Francesco Colin  (International Institute of Social Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam).

Steven Brooke  and  Monica Komer  (University of Wisconsin-Madison).

Matt Buehler  (University of Tennessee) and Freddy Ghergis (Independent Scholar).

Intissar Kherigi  (Ibn Haldun University & Sciences Po, Paris).

Christina Parreira  (Geneva Graduate Institute).

Marwa Shalaby  (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and  Carolyn Barnett  (University of Arizona) .

Marika Sosnowski  (University of Melbourne).

Book Launches

In 2025, GLD undertook a series of book launch events to promote the publication of the edited volume. These collaborative events brought together scholars and practitioners to discuss crucial governance issues in the MENA region.

Stockholm

The first event was held in collaboration with SALAR International. The event featured insightful presentations from a selection of chapter authors, including Ellen Lust, Kristen Kao, Intissar Kherigi, Alexandra Domike Blackman, Marwa Shalaby, Christiana Parreira, and Steven Brooke. These presentations were followed by a policy discussion with SALAR International staff and contributors, including Ryan Knox, Souraya Hammoud, Gunnar Anderson., and other SALAR International practitioners. 

London

In collaboration with the Chatham House MENA Programme, this event brought together scholars and practitioners to discuss crucial governance issues in the MENA region. The event featured insightful presentations from Ellen Lust, Intissar Kherigi, Alexandra Domike Blackman, Marwa Shalaby, Christiana Parreira, and Steven Brooke. These presentations were followed by a policy discussion, moderated by Lina Khatib, between the authors and Peter Rundell and Mariz Tadros.

The authors’ presentation can be viewed here.

Related Publications

Brooke, Steven and Komer, Monica C. (2021).  "How Gender and Local State Capacity Shape Citizens’ Use of the Mosque,"  Governance and Local Development Institute Working Paper Series, No. 37, University of Gothenburg. Available here.

Kherigi, Intissar. (2021). "Municipal Boundaries and the Politics of Space in Tunisia," Governance and Local Development Institute Working Paper Series, No. 38, University of Gothenburg. Available here.

Barnett, Carolyn and Shalaby, Marwa. (2021). "Success Beyond Gender Quotas: Gender, Local Politics, and Clientelism in Morocco," Governance and Local Development Institute Working Paper Series, No. 48, University of Gothenburg. Available here.