State of Repression: Iraq under Saddam Hussein

Lisa Blaydes

Published by Princeton University Press 2018

State of Repression

Iraq under Saddam Hussein

Lisa Blaydes

https://doi.org/10.23943/9781400890323

Overview
Contents

About this book

A new account of modern Iraqi politics that overturns the conventional wisdom about its sectarian divisions

How did Iraq become one of the most repressive dictatorships of the late twentieth century? The conventional wisdom about Iraq's modern political history is that the country was doomed by its diverse social fabric. But in State of Repression, Lisa Blaydes challenges this belief by showing that the country's breakdown was far from inevitable. At the same time, she offers a new way of understanding the behavior of other authoritarian regimes and their populations.

Drawing on archival material captured from the headquarters of Saddam Hussein's ruling Ba'th Party in the wake of the 2003 US invasion, Blaydes illuminates the complexities of political life in Iraq, including why certain Iraqis chose to collaborate with the regime while others worked to undermine it. She demonstrates that, despite the Ba'thist regime's pretensions to political hegemony, its frequent reliance on collective punishment of various groups reinforced and cemented identity divisions. In addition, a series of costly external shocks to the economy--resulting from fluctuations in oil prices and Iraq's war with Iran—weakened the capacity of the regime to monitor, co-opt, coerce, and control factions of Iraqi society.

In addition to calling into question the common story of modern Iraqi politics, State of Repression offers a new explanation of why and how dictators repress their people in ways that can inadvertently strengthen regime opponents.

Author / Editor information

Lisa Blaydes is associate professor of political science and senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. She is the author of Elections and Distributive Politics in Mubarak's Egypt.

Reviews

"Using rich and original primary sources, this excellent book looks deeply at the case of Saddam Hussein's Iraq to develop a new theory of how cooperation and resistance emerge in oppressive political contexts."—Fotini Christia, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"Drawing on fascinating original research about the inner workings of Iraq's Ba'thist regime, State of Repression enhances our understanding of authoritarian politics."—Amaney A. Jamal, Princeton University

"Lisa Blaydes has hit a home run with her study of Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Meticulously researched and overflowing with original insights, this impressive volume is at once an in-depth account of Saddam’s nearly quarter-century of rule and a theoretically informed inquiry into the nature and societal impact of authoritarian rule more generally. Blaydes’s masterful book is essential reading both for students of Iraq and the Middle East and for students of authoritarian political systems."—Mark Tessler, University of Michigan

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Figures and tables Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	ix
Preface Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	xiii
Preface Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	xvii
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Part I. Theoretical and Empirical Foundations
Compliance and resistance under autocracy Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	31
State- and nation-building in Iraq, 1973–1979 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	61
War burden and coalitional politics, 1980–1991 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	80
Political implications of economic embargo, 1991–2003 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	112
Part II. Political behavior in Iraq, 1979−2003
Collaboration and resistance in Iraqi Kurdistan Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	133
Political orientation and Ba’th party participation Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	163
Rumors as resistance Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	196
Religion, identity, and contentious politics Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	237
Military service, militias, and coup attempts Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	266
Conclusion Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	305
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	331
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	351