Professional Affiliation

Analyst, US Government

Expert Bio

Hy Matz has worked as an intelligence analyst in the US Government since 2007. His research focuses on crosscutting political and socioeconomic trends in the Middle East, including the evolution of the Arab Spring, regional geopolitical dynamics, and political reform. As the Arab Spring took root in 2011, he served as the daily intelligence briefer for US Administration officials responsible for Middle Eastern affairs. A native Midwesterner, he was born in Minnesota and earned both his Masters in Public Affairs and his B.A. in Political Science and Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Wilson Center Project

Regional Spillover Patterns in the Modern Middle East

Project Summary

One of the lasting legacies of the Arab Spring is its illustration of the profound interconnectivity in the Middle East and North Africa. Protests that began in a relatively remote corner of the region spilled across the entire Middle East at an unprecedented pace. As we approach the five year anniversary of the Arab Spring, the spread of popular protests has largely subsided, but the region remains awash in the spillover of refugees, arms, terrorist networks, and information flows. During his fellowship at the Wilson Center, Hy Matz will examine the regional spillover patterns in the modern Middle East. He will explore the various aspects of spillover as they pertain to state stability, and analyze commonalities in the channels of diffusion from state to state. He hopes that better understanding the underlying linkages and spillover mechanisms between Middle Eastern countries will yield helpful insights for forecasting future waves of instability.