Middle East and North Africa Politics (Section 49)
The Middle East and North Africa Politics Section is an academic society at the American Political Science Association (APSA), established to support, develop and publish research on the politics of the MENA region utilizing interdisciplinary methodological, theoretical and empirical tools. It seeks to fully integrate the rigorous study of the politics of the Middle East with the broader discipline of Political Science, to serve as an institutional home for the community of political scientists dedicated to the Middle East, and to fully integrate scholars from the MENA region and diverse scholars from the United States into the global study of Middle East politics.
Founded: 2018
Section Website
Social: @apsamena.bsky.social
Section Newsletter
Section Membership Dues
| Student/TIM | Regular |
|---|---|
| $0 | $10 |
Donate to Section 49
Middle East and North Africa Politics Fund
Section Officers
Section Officers
Section Awards
Section awards are presented during the APSA annual meeting awards ceremony. To learn more about any award listed, contact the award committee chair for the award.
All section 49. Middle East and North Africa Politics to-date »
Best Book on MENA Politics Award
Awarded for the best book published in the previous year (January-December 2026). Monographs utilizing any methodological, theoretical, and empirical tools for the study of the politics of the Middle East and North Africa will be considered. Edited volumes, handbooks, and similar works will not be considered. If there are sufficient nominations, the award committee may choose to split the award into “first book” and “second book” categories. Please submit nominations or self-nominations to the award committee with the subject heading “MENA Politics Best Book Nomination” at apsamena@gmail.com by February 1, 2027. If you can send physical copies of the books, please note this in your nomination, and we will get back to you with the three addresses to send the books to. Otherwise, you can also send e-book or digital copies to apsamena@gmail.com . Members of the award committee who have worked closely with a nominee (as advisor, dissertation committee member, co-author, etc.) will recuse themselves from deliberation over that nominee’s work. Deadline for nominations: February 1, 2027
Award Committee
| Name | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
| Günes Murat Tezcür (Chair) | Arizona State University | tezcur@asu.edu |
| Nermin Allam | Rutgers University | na587@newark.rutgers.edu |
| Rafael Lefevre | University of Bristol | raphael.lefevre@bristol.ac.uk |
Best Dissertation in MENA Politics
Awarded for the best doctoral thesis defended in the previous academic year. (August-July). To be considered, the dissertation must be nominated by the dissertation adviser or another faculty member familiar with the work; self-nominations are not permitted, and dissertations may only be nominated once. The nominator should submit a short letter explaining why the dissertation makes an exceptional contribution to the study of the politics of the Middle East and the broader discipline of Political Science; this letter should also indicate if any portion of the dissertation has been published in article format and/or if it is being nominated for another section award. Work utilizing any methodological, theoretical, and empirical tools for the study of the politics of the Middle East and North Africa will be considered. Please submit nomination letters, with the dissertation as a PDF attachment, to the chair of the award committee with the subject heading “MENA Politics Best Dissertation Nomination” at apsamena@gmail.com by February 1, 2027. A member of the selection committee may not nominate their own graduate student and will recuse themselves from deliberations over their student’s work should it be nominated. Deadline for nominations: February 1, 2027
Award Committee
| Name | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
| Ann Kristine Rønn (Chair) | Aarhus University | akr@ps.au.dk |
| Francesco Cavatorta | Leval University | francesco.cavatorta@pol.ulaval.ca |
| Ashrakat Elshehawy | University College London | a.elshehawy@ucl.ac.uk |
Best MENA Politics APSA Paper
Awarded for the best conference paper presented at the previous annual meeting (2026) of the APSA. Papers utilizing any methodological, theoretical, and empirical tools for the study of the politics of the Middle East and North Africa will be considered. Please submit nominations or self-nominations, with the nominated paper attached, to the award committee with the subject heading “MENA Politics Best Paper Nomination” at apsamena@gmail.com by February 1, 2027. Deadline for nominations: February 1, 2027
Award Committee
| Name | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
| Efe Tokdemir (Chair) | Bilkent University | efe.tokdemir@bilkent.edu.tr |
| Amanda Rizkallah | Seaver College | amanda.rizkallah@pepperdine.edu |
| Karim Makdisi | American University of Beirut | km18@aub.edu.lb |
Best MENA Politics Article
Awarded for the best article published in a peer-reviewed journal the previous year (January-December 2026). Articles utilizing any methodological, theoretical, and empirical tools for the study of the politics of the Middle East and North Africa will be considered. Should sufficient nominees exist, the committee may also consider recognizing any submission for a “Best Fieldwork” or “Best Dataset” sub-award. Please submit nominations or self-nominations, with the article attached, to the award committee with the subject heading “MENA Politics Best Journal Article Nomination” at apsamena@gmail.com by February 1, 2027. Deadline for nominations: February 1, 2027
Award Committee
| Name | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
| Paola Rivetti (Chair) | Dublin City University | paola.rivetti@dcu.ie |
| Christiana Parriera | Geneva Graduate Institute | christiana.parreira@gmail.com |
| Calvert Jones | University of Maryland | cwjones@umd.edu |