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Whatever our opinions about the legitimacy of the invasion and occupation of Iraq, we cannot deny that the war has produced profound new realities for the people of the country and the region. This becomes especially clear when one looks at the situation from the perspective of the Iraqi Kurds. Victims of genocide in Saddam's Iraq, the Kurds now enjoy an extraordinary amount of autonomous rule. Even David McDowall, perhaps the world's preeminent Kurdish historian, and a staunch opponent of the war, has acknowledged its importance for the Kurds. “Let us look at where the Kurds are now and where they once were” he writes. “In the wake of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the Kurds appear to stand at a crucial turning point in their history. For the Iraqi Kurds, this juncture must without question be the most significant opportunity since 1919 to shape their future." Yet, despite these changes, numerous problems persist. These range from serious violations of human rights and general social inequality to corruption and a lack of democratic accountability among Kurdish political representatives. This paper assesses the post-war situation in Iraqi Kurdistan through the lens of various theories of democratization with the aim of understanding how Iraq Kurdistan's political, economic and social problems are being confronted by various state and non-state actors in Iraqi Kurdistan and the prospects for their management and resolution. In so doing, it also contributes to the broader discussions and debates over the problems of democratization in the Middle East. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does trade affect the persistence of imposed polities? The newly imposed governments in Afghanistan and Iraq draw attention to imposed polities and pose questions about their survival. To assess the likelihood of an imposed polity's success an examination of its political, social, and economic characteristics is necessary. This study analyzes the influence of trade on polity survival. Previous research indicates imposed polities are fragile over their entire existence. For a polity to survive it is important the government pursue policies that encourage economic development. Trade is central to economic development. It enables leaders to distribute rents to its supporters, and is correlated with higher wages for workers and low inflation. On the other hand, disruption of trade may lead to economic crises and encourage regime failure. The influence of trade on the persistence of an imposed polity is dependent upon the stability of the polity prior to imposition. If a stable polity is replaced through external imposition, it is important for trade to continue to maintain the support of the winning coalition. However, if an unstable polity is replaced, trade will not have as large of an impact on persistence because there is no winning coalition that must be satisfied. To examine the effect of trade on imposed polity persistence, I rely on a sample of 90 imposed polities from 1885-2000 and an event history framework. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]