{"product_id":"state-of-repression-lisa-blaydes-9780691180274","title":"State of Repression: Iraq Under Saddam Hussein","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA new account of modern Iraqi politics that overturns the conventional wisdom about its sectarian divisions\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHow did Iraq become one of the most repressive dictatorships of the late twentieth century? The conventional wisdom about Iraq's modern political history is that the country was doomed by its diverse social fabric. But in \u003ci\u003eState of Repression\u003c\/i\u003e, Lisa Blaydes challenges this belief by showing that the country's breakdown was far from inevitable. At the same time, she offers a new way of understanding the behavior of other authoritarian regimes and their populations. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDrawing on archival material captured from the headquarters of Saddam Hussein's ruling Ba'th Party in the wake of the 2003 US invasion, Blaydes illuminates the complexities of political life in Iraq, including why certain Iraqis chose to collaborate with the regime while others worked to undermine it. She demonstrates that, despite the Ba'thist regime's pretensions to political hegemony, its frequent reliance on collective punishment of various groups reinforced and cemented identity divisions. At the same time, a series of costly external shocks to the economy--resulting from fluctuations in oil prices and Iraq's war with Iran--weakened the capacity of the regime to monitor, co-opt, coerce, and control factions of Iraqi society. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn addition to calling into question the common story of modern Iraqi politics, \u003ci\u003eState of Repression\u003c\/i\u003e offers a new explanation of why and how dictators repress their people in ways that can inadvertently strengthen regime opponents.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Lisa Blaydes\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 069118027X\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780691180274\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Princeton University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 07\/10\/2018\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 376\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.45lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.40h x 6.50w x 1.20d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 11\/01\/2018","brand":"Lisa Blaydes","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":47202662646015,"sku":"9780691180274","price":42.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_db85e86a-1146-45dd-8a46-d9ff60167fe4.jpg?v=1756833031","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/state-of-repression-lisa-blaydes-9780691180274","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}