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Call for Paper Proposals
A World Order Without Democracy?
U.S. Strategy and Political Change in the Muslim World
Friday May 15, 2026
Georgetown University
Washington, DC 20001
The Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) invites policy analysts, think-tank professionals, former and current officials, practitioners, and scholars to submit paper proposals for its 24th Annual Conference, co-sponsored by Georgetown University’s Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU), and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC).
This year’s conference focuses on a core strategic question facing U.S. policy in the Middle East and the wider Muslim world: Can the world order and regional stability be sustained without democracy, accountability, and inclusive governance?
For more than two decades, U.S. strategy has often emphasized short-term stability, security cooperation, and counterterrorism partnerships. These choices have produced mixed results. While some regimes have delivered tactical cooperation, many have also deepened repression, narrowed political space, weakened state legitimacy, and contributed to recurring instability and conflict.
This conference seeks clear, policy-relevant analysis of how U.S. choices shape political outcomes on the ground, what assumptions have guided these strategies, and what alternative approaches might better advance long-term stability, security, and legitimate U.S. interests.
We particularly welcome submissions that speak directly to policy debates in Washington, draw lessons from field experience, and offer practical insights for decision-makers.
Suggested Topics:
- Order versus democracy in U.S. strategy, assumptions, tradeoffs, and unintended consequences
- Authoritarian durability and external support, how international partnerships affect domestic governance
- Security cooperation and political repression, risks, incentives, and long-term costs
- Democratic backsliding and stalled reform, warning signs and points of leverage
- Civil society, opposition movements, and political space under restrictive regimes
- Islam, pluralism, and governance, implications for constitutional design and political inclusion
- Country case studies assessing recent developments and the impact of U.S. policy choices in Tunisia, Bangladesh, Syria, Malaysia, Egypt, and Turkey.
- Israel, Gaza, and Palestine, governance, rights, and U.S. strategic calculations
- Economic governance, corruption, and elite capture, effects on stability and legitimacy
- Information warfare, media, and technology, tools of control and resistance
- Policy alternatives, strategies that link stability with accountability rather than trade them off
Submission Guidelines
- Abstracts (300–500 words) should clearly state the policy question addressed, key findings or arguments, and relevance to current U.S. or international policy debates.
- Please include a short biography (approximately 100 words) highlighting policy, professional, or field experience.
- Full papers: should be submitted at least 4 weeks before the conference.
Important Dates
Deadline for Abstracts/Paper Proposal: February 7, 2026
Full Papers Due (if accepted): April 7, 2026
Submission Email
Please send submissions to: conference2026@CSID-online.org
Participation and Fees:
- Panelists and speakers are expected to cover their own travel and accommodations and pay the conference registration fee ($100) by April 7, 2026
- CSID will waive the registration fee and provide an honorarium of $400 for speakers and panelists traveling from overseas and/or outside the Washington, DC area.
We look forward to convening a policy-focused conversation on whether current U.S. strategies are producing sustainable outcomes, and what course corrections may be needed to support long-term stability, political legitimacy, and peace in the Muslim world.
The Conference Program Committee
Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID)
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