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March 10, 2015 at 4 pm, Smith Memorial Union 327/8/9, Portland State UniversityIn recent decades, Islamist political movements in many Arab countries have made a strategic investment in a political process that is stacked heavily against them. And they have succeeded by gaining more seats in parliaments and demonstrating their position as the only opposition movements with a popular base. This change alarms some observers and excites other. In recent years, electoral opportunities have opened, and Islamist movements have seized them. How do Islamist movements change when they plunge into freer but unfair elections? How do their organizations and structures evolve? What happens to their core ideological principles? How might their increased involvement affect the political system? Do they have any future? The speaker addresses these questions by focusing on the Islamist political movements throughout the Arab world.Nathan Brown is a Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at the Elliot School of International Affairs, George Town University. He received his B.A. in political science from the University of Chicago and his M.A. and Ph.D. in politics and Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University. He teaches courses on Middle Eastern politics, as well as more general courses on comparative politics and international relations.Free and Open to the PublicSponsors: Middle East Studies Center in collaboration with World Affairs Council, Center for Turkish Studies, Department of Political Science, Sociology Department, Judaic Studies and Department of Global and International Studies.