(Non)Democratic Rule in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

ABSTRACT Since its establishment as a quasi‐state in 1991, the political system of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq can be categorized as a hybrid regime. Yet key questions remain: why has the Kurdistan region failed to become a successful model of democratization? What factors obstruct the democratization of the Kurdistan region's political system? Considering the factors underpinning undemocratic systems and based on interviews with members of the Kurdish political elites, this article argues that the Kurdish ruling elite is the main reason for the region's lack of successful democratization. However, it also finds that international factors have enabled a favorable climate for this elite to wield power undemocratically.