Description:
Using evidence from extensive fieldwork, Isabelle Werenfels explores the relationship between elite dynamics and strategies and the lack of profound political change in Algeria after 1995, when the country's military rulers returned to electoral processes.
Review Quotes:
'This is a superbly crafted study of its fragmented elite; it is as rigorous as the fluid subject matter allows... This book is a must read for students of comparative politics and political economy as well as Algeria specialists. It offers a thick, rich description of the contradictory values and practices that tend to transform rhetorical reformers into conservative rent-seekers.' - Clement M. Henry, Middle East Journal, Vol. 62, No. 1, Winter 2008