Expertise
Comparative Politics, Middle East, Democracy, Authoritarianism, US Foreign Policy
Biography
Sean Yom is Associate Professor of Political Science at Temple University. He is a specialist on regimes and governance in the Middle East, especially in Arab monarchies like Jordan, Kuwait, and Morocco. His research explores the dynamics of authoritarian politics, democratic reforms, and economic development in these countries, as well as their implications for US foreign policy. His past publications include From Resilience to Revolution: How Foreign Interventions Destabilize the Middle East (Columbia University Press, 2015/2016) and the co-edited The Political Science of the Middle East: Theory and Research since the Arab Uprisings (Oxford University Press, 2022); articles in journals like Comparative Political Studies, European Journal of International Relations, and Journal of Democracy; and contributions in online venues like Foreign Policy. He sits on the editorial board of the International Journal of Middle East Studies and the editorial committee of Middle East Report. Education: A.B., Brown University (2003); PhD., Harvard University (2009).
Selected Publications
- Jordan: Politics in an Accidental Crucible (Oxford University Press, 2025).
- “Water, Stateness, and Tribalism in Jordan,” in Making Sense of the Arab State, eds. Steven Heydemann and Marc Lynch (University of Michigan Press, 2024), 247-273.
- “Kuwait’s Democratic Promise,” Journal of Democracy 34, 3 (2023): 46-61.
- “US Foreign Policy in the Middle East: The Logic of Hegemonic Retreat,” Global Policy 11, 1 (2020): 75-83.
Courses Taught
- Middle East Politics
- Democratization and Dictatorship
- Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in the US
- Qualitative Research Methods
