Complexity Theory, Democratic Transition and Public Policy Choices in Iraq

Abstract

This article adopts Complexity Theory to improve understanding of Iraq's future patterns ofdemocratic stabilization and consolidation. It emphasizes the importance of soft technologies, aswell as hard technologies for making better public policy choices. The article also sheds light onIraq's institutional evolution, on its processes and mechanisms of variation and replication. Itemphasizes the importance of new culturally-sensitive public policies and political economies. Thefirst part of the article briefly describes the main political, economic, social and cultural changes inIraq since the fall of the Saddam regime. The second part discusses the system of social security inIraq and in formerly ISIS controlled territories. The final section deals with important challenges ofde-radicalization necessary that are necessary for the democratization, liberalization,institutionalization and consolidation of new institutions. A new spatial politics of public policymaking in formerly ISIS-occupied territories is also discussed in the concluding section.