The Islamist Challenge: The Failure of Reform in Tunisia

Legislative elections in the Middle East often become contests over patronage and wind up reinforcing authoritarian regimes.

There is an emerging current of enlightened thought in the Muslim world today, but it is all too often wrongly labeled and poorly understood.

The U.S.-led reconstruction effort has so far failed to establish democratic institutions in Iraq. But as troubled as that effort has been, it provides valuable lessons for future nation-building endeavors.