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UBC Theses and Dissertations
The Middle East, semi-democracy and monarchy: a comparative analysis of Algeria, Jordan, and Morocco Bestland, Tanis
Abstract
Democratization in the Middle East has been fraught with pitfalls - the Islamist challenge, rentierism, and the weaknesses of democratic political culture, independent civil society and multipartisrn; yet democratization has become attractive (if not indeed necessary) to many regimes in the last decade or so, facing as they are legitimacy crises due to economic difficulties. This thesis explores the Middle Eastern experience with democratization through the analysis of three relevant case studies: Algeria, Jordan and Morocco. None of these countries is at present fully democratic, but all have experienced periods of semi-democratic rule - Jordan being the most successful to date, Algeria the least. The potential for transition from non-democracy to semi-democracy (and eventually democracy) and the factors which contribute to successful transition and consolidation of such new systems are the issues analyzed here. The theoretical literature on democratization is reviewed, with particular attention to cultural and economic factors, historical legacies, democratic transition and consolidation, elite behavior, the role of Islam, and political legitimacy. Comparative variations in levels of development tend not to be the best explanation for the relative success of the three case studies examined here. Instead, the factors determined to be most conducive to a stable, successful transition are a medium- to long-term time frame for the process, the presence of a pact between the government and the opposition (elite consensual unity), and the presence of a stable, legitimate institution to guide the process. Democratization in the Middle East also requires a decision by the regime on how to deal with Islamist groups/parties, and this decision always has important repercussions for the success of the process. In the cases of Jordan and Morocco legitimate authority has been found in the person of the king. Thus this thesis points out that the presence of a monarch in a democratizing society is likely to be a stabilizing force in the transition and, later, the consolidation of the democratic system. Scholars would thus be wise to explore further the potentialities of monarchy in democratization, as well as other ways that new democratic regimes might gain and maintain legitimacy.
Item Metadata
Title |
The Middle East, semi-democracy and monarchy: a comparative analysis of Algeria, Jordan, and Morocco
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Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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Date Issued |
1996
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Description |
Democratization in the Middle East has been fraught with pitfalls - the Islamist challenge,
rentierism, and the weaknesses of democratic political culture, independent civil society and multipartisrn;
yet democratization has become attractive (if not indeed necessary) to many regimes in the last decade or
so, facing as they are legitimacy crises due to economic difficulties. This thesis explores the Middle
Eastern experience with democratization through the analysis of three relevant case studies: Algeria,
Jordan and Morocco. None of these countries is at present fully democratic, but all have experienced
periods of semi-democratic rule - Jordan being the most successful to date, Algeria the least. The
potential for transition from non-democracy to semi-democracy (and eventually democracy) and the
factors which contribute to successful transition and consolidation of such new systems are the issues
analyzed here.
The theoretical literature on democratization is reviewed, with particular attention to cultural and
economic factors, historical legacies, democratic transition and consolidation, elite behavior, the role of
Islam, and political legitimacy. Comparative variations in levels of development tend not to be the best
explanation for the relative success of the three case studies examined here. Instead, the factors
determined to be most conducive to a stable, successful transition are a medium- to long-term time frame
for the process, the presence of a pact between the government and the opposition (elite consensual unity),
and the presence of a stable, legitimate institution to guide the process. Democratization in the Middle
East also requires a decision by the regime on how to deal with Islamist groups/parties, and this decision
always has important repercussions for the success of the process.
In the cases of Jordan and Morocco legitimate authority has been found in the person of the king.
Thus this thesis points out that the presence of a monarch in a democratizing society is likely to be a
stabilizing force in the transition and, later, the consolidation of the democratic system. Scholars would
thus be wise to explore further the potentialities of monarchy in democratization, as well as other ways
that new democratic regimes might gain and maintain legitimacy.
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Extent |
6132246 bytes
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Genre | |
Type | |
File Format |
application/pdf
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Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2009-02-16
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0099063
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URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Graduation Date |
1996-11
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.