Agnieszka Paczynska

Inequality, Political Participation, and Democratic Deepening in Poland

This article examines the challenges that democratic deepening has encountered in countries undertaking simultaneous economic and political reforms. It does so by examining the experience of Poland following the 1989 transition. It explores the Polish publics perceptions of democracy and their engagement in political and civic life. It argues that as a consequence of economic changes, there has been a growing bifurcation of the Polish society into a small, well-educated, urban sector and the mostly poor, lacking marketable skills residents of small towns and rural areas. The first group not only views the post-1989 economic and political changes in a more positive light than the second group but is also more engaged and active politically. The article suggests that the establishment of a truly participatory political system in Poland continues to remain a work in progress.

Globalization, Structural Adjustment, and Pressure to Conform: Contesting Labor Law Reform in Egypt

This article examines the decade-long contentious encounter between the Egyptian regime and Egyptian organized labor over changes in the labor law. I examine why an authoritarian regime which was often willing to deploy violence against its opponents encountered such difficulties in pushing through one of the central components of Egypts structural adjustment program. I argue that Egyptian organized labor was able to influence the process of economic restructuring in general and reform of the labor code in particular because in the decades prior to the initiation of reforms in the 1990s, unions were able to acquire important resources. These resources included legal prerogatives, a degree of financial autonomy from the state as well as experience gained from previous contentious encounters with the state. These resources in turn allowed them to shape policy debates once the structural adjustment program commenced.

Liberia rising? Foreign direct investment, persistent inequalities and political tensions

Abstract A key component of post-conflict reconstruction is inclusive and equitable economic development. In the post-Cold War era, Western donors have promoted the liberal peacebuilding model that emphasises democratisation and marketisation to accomplish stability and development. Attracting Foreign Direct Investment is an essential component of these marketisation policies, contributing to creating new employment opportunities, bringing in new technologies, skills and access to international markets. Others point to potential negative consequences for social stability of large international firms entering post-civil war countries, creating winners and losers and contributing to conflicts over access to land, jobs, social services and revenues generated by the companies. This paper examines the socio-economic and political consequences of FDI flows in Liberia. It argues that the very success of encouraging FDI, mostly channelled into palm oil, forestry, rubber and iron ore mining, undermined other policy goals, and in particular poverty reduction strategies, contributing to an increase in political tensions and protests in the project-affected communities.

Teaching Theory, Writing Policy: Integrating Lessons from Foggy Bottom into the Classroom

This article describes guidelines for assignments designed to build and improve policy-oriented writing skills of college students. Based on our experiences as Franklin Fellows at the United States Department of State, we developed strategies for teaching writing skills that are transferable to the workplace. The pedagogical approaches highlighted in this article will equip students with the analytical and writing abilities needed in a variety of employment situations. First, we offer insights into the qualities that we believe are important for success in a policy-oriented work environment. Second, we link those skills to the challenges and gaps that students face. Third, we propose assignments that can address those gaps.

Cross-Regional Comparisons: The Arab Uprisings as Political Transitions and Social Movements

TheArab uprisings, like the fall of the BerlinWall more than twodecades ago, arewatershed events that have raised fundamental questions about our understanding of the processes of political change, the emergence and diffusion of contentious collective action, and the role of the international context in facilitating or hindering political change.The uprisings have further strengthened a growing focuswithinMiddle Eastern studies on framing questions about the social, economic, and political dynamics in the region in ways that allow for more robust linkages with comparative theorizing about the dynamics of contentious collective action and the processes of political change.1 In other words, the Arab uprisings have injected new energy into the comparative study of contentious politics. In addition to new research agendas the uprisings have also provided opportunities for introducing students in survey and theory courses to the region’s political dynamics, enriching students’ engagement with theoretical concepts and honing their critical thinking and analytical skills while making the Middle East less “exceptional” for the students. Here, I focus on how incorporating of Middle Eastern cases allows instructors to raise questions and engage students in discussions about the emergence and diffusion of contentious collective action.