The Origins of Post-Authoritarian Federalism: Iraq 1992-2003

Studies of the federal system have generally focussed on the consequences of its application. Most often, the reasons for the adoption of the federal system in its various forms are not examined in depth. A case study like Iraqi federalism may provide an additional building block to the literature on federalism and might also help to explain the rise of federalism elsewhere, especially in countries with deep-rooted diversity (DRD). The debate about whether federalism is a durable, sustainable alternative to the unitary state for purposes of tackling ethnic, cultural, or religious strife has raised fundamental questions. Federal experiments have resulted in failed outcomes as well as successful ones. To better understand the dilemma of federalism’s successes and failures, I have chosen to study the origins of federalism, which might help explain the successes and failures of some federal systems. Hence, Iraqi federalism is just a case that will elaborate on that. In order to accomplish this, the dissertation focuses on the macro-level of Iraqi society; the major ethnocultural groups that are based on territory, and have participated in both the 1991-2002 federal process and, ultimately, the post-2003 federal process. However, in my final chapter of this dissertation, I will look at the key current issues, particularly militias as well as the rise of Al-Qaeda and ISIS in the Sunni region and elsewhere in Iraq, and whether it is connected to the federal system. By addressing the federal subject in the Iraqi context, I will provide a deeper understanding of why federalism emerges and how federalism is a political contract negotiated between minority and majority. I have strived to understand whether such a federal system can help to prevent ethnocultural conflict in a unitary state system distinguished by DRD. A state shaped by DRD is one in which national minorities have their own territory and capability of forming their own nation (e.g., Kurds in Iraq, French-speaking Canadians in Quebec, Catalans in Spain, etc.). Hence, this may result from the way that the nation-state paradigm can be adjusted to balance the principle of self-rule and shared-rule in a multi-ethnoreligious society. Finally, my dissertation attempts to contribute to our understanding of the essence of federalism in general, and in this region of the world - the Middle East - in particular. In this region, there has been an extensive history of ethnocultural and religious violence. This dissertation will enrich the debate about the federal literature, especially regarding ethnocultural conflict management and the prospect of restructuring the political system to reflect the genuine nature of nation-state society. Therefore, this case of federalism will contribute to ways of managing deep-rooted diversity by acknowledging it in a federal structure and consequently creating peace and stability. The lessons from Iraqi federal experiences might help to solve or manage other conflicts in the region such as those in Syria, Yemen, or even Libya.

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