Rethinking Islamist politics in North Africa: a multi-level analysis of domestic, regional and international dynamics

Since 2011, considerable upheavals in domestic politics, shifting regional power balances and international shocks have been greatly affecting Islamist movements and parties coming to the forefront of the political arena in Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco. This Special Issue combines a more theoretical reflection upon the underappreciated interaction of domestic, regional and international factors with an empirical focus on the development of Islamists. It also enriches the case history of comparative politics analyses through the investigation of new relevant rational actors in countries whose political trajectories differ considerably. By opting for an inside-out perspective and actor-centered approach, we aim to overcome the ‘compartmentalization' of the three levels of analysis and the ‘obsession’ with moderation for Islamists. Borrowing a set of mechanisms first identified by social movement and policy diffusion literature, this introduction lays out the analytical framework informing all the contributions which is based on adaptation, learning, competition, and collaboration dynamics.