Academic and Legal Elites and Their Intellectual Influence in Iraq (1958 – 1968)

Abstract

In this study we describe the intellectual and political roles played by academic and legal elites in Iraq during a crucial point in the country’s modern history, from 1958 (the republican regime was founded) to 1968 (a decade of political and ideological convulsions ended) and, more specifically, during the period known as the short century. The research will try to find out the intellectual and social backgrounds of these elites and the environment of politics where they developed their ideas, as well as their contributions towards legislation, higher education, and to the political and social discourse. Moreover, the article considers the nature of such elites' relationships with centers of power and their degree of control over the shaping and response to public policies. There follows a structure of study that centers on four main themes: an elite theory conceptual framework, the historical development of Iraqi elites, transformations following the 1958 revolution and the role of universities and research institutions in creating intellectual trends. Further, the presence of legal elites is highlighted to have contributed to their reform of the judicial and legislative systems. The study analyses the analysis of the contemporary documents as well as sources and compares intellectual switch with political and shows that Iraqi elites have been in the national environmental in this time, yet their muscle was occasionally compromised by the character and instability of political framework. This research aims to provide one more objective reading of the role of elites in shaping of Iraqi political and legal consciousness and leave room for other studies of elites after Iraq’s modern history.