The Unravelling of Arab Autocracy: Socioeconomic Factors in Context

  • Samir Makdisi
Chapter
Part of the Rethinking International Development Series book series (RID)

Abstract

After a sustained period of autocratic rule in the Arab region following the independence of the Arab countries in the wake of World War II, the successful Tunisian uprising of December 2010 has ushered in what seems to be a new political phase — the beginnings of the unravelling of Arab autocracy. However, more than four years later, this trajectory is yet to take hold region-wide and, for the foreseeable future, its eventual outcome remains uncertain. Of four countries where the uprisings managed to overthrow the incumbent regime (namely, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen), and one where this attempt has been ongoing for the past four years (Syria), only Tunisia appears to be moving in the direction of a genuine democracy, as attested by its approved constitution of January 2014, the parliamentary elections of 26 October and the presidential elections on 21 December of the same year, as well as the generally and relatively peaceful transfer of power among its major political contestants.

Keywords

Arab Country Arab World Gulf Cooperation Council Democratic Transition Arab Region 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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© Samir Makdisi 2016

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