Islamism, Electoral Hegemony, and Democracy: Lessons from Turkey, Egypt, and Tunisia

German Marshall Fund of the United States, December 16, 2013

Sebnem Gumuscu & E. Fuat Keyman *

Widespread popular protests and the military coup in Egypt in the summer of 2013 and the sustained political turmoil in Tunisia have not only exemplified the tumultuous course of the Arab Spring but they have also reignited the debate on the compatibility of Islam and democracy. But the monopolization of power is more pertinent to democratization than incumbents’ political identity. The experience in recent years in countries like Egypt, Tunisia, and Turkey has indicated that superior capacity of Islamic parties to mobilize supporters has functioned as a mechanism of electoral hegemony, which combined with a majoritarian understanding of democracy has proven to be a pathway toward monopolization of power and an important obstacle to democratization in the region.

* Şebnem Gümüşçü is an instructor at Sabancı University and project coordinator at Istanbul Policy Center. E. Fuat Keyman is a professor of international relations at Sabancı University/İstanbul and is the director of the Istanbul Policy Center.

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