Realist · Why do We Need a Realist Constitutional Theory to Study the Politics of Constitutional Change in the Middle East?

Why do We Need a Realist Constitutional Theory to Study the Politics of Constitutional Change in the Middle East?

In this project, I proposed a realist interpretation of constitutional theory by focusing on constitutional politics in Turkey and the Arab Spring constitutional revolutions. Much ink has been spilled on both cases in both popular media and scholarly publications. Most of the publications written about political and legal reforms undertaken by the Justice and Development Party during the 2000s and in the wake of the Arab spring celebrated as the dawn of a new era. In Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia, in common, after the abrupt end of military tutelage or autocratic regimes, a process of new institutional and constitutional design toward a liberal democracy was on the table. For many social scientists, constitutional scholars and external Western actors, the main issue at stake in these countries was the transition from autocracy to liberal democracy. In contrast to widespread optimism about possible regime changes and social transformation in these countries, constitutional politics in Turkey and the uprisings of 2011 had unanticipated consequences: authoritarianism proved to be resilient or more intensified (in Turkey and in Egypt), the old power compact was rejuvenated (in Egypt and in part in Tunisia) or a new power compact replaced the old establishment (in Turkey), and social and economic inequalities persisted (in common). In its attempt to explain these constitution-making attempts, the constitutional theory has been largely shaped by liberal political theory and legal constitutionalism. However, this analytical and theoretical framework is grounded in legalism and moralism, and such legal moralism precludes constitutional studies from grasping the real forces that affect constitutional revolutions. Realist political theory has recently posed a challenge to liberalism. However, despite the magnitude of the impact of the theory on political theory, its influence on constitutional studies has been minimal. Realism provides an alternative theoretical perspective to that of liberalism in evaluating and examining constitutional changes and transformations on least four grounds: it focuses on the autonomy of politics, it allows for the abandoning of communitarianism and cultural relativism as alternatives to liberal theory, it requires theorizing in context, and it enables empirical studies of constitutional change that are critical. In sum, REALIST involves two main objectives. - To propose and apply constitutional transformations in the Middle East by a realist approach - To analyze and evaluate the failure of political Islam in leading a constitutional transformation on grounds of a realist political theory

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