Description
Book SynopsisSince 2011, democratic transitions in the Middle East and North Africa have mostly failed to consolidate and have been hindered by the difficult economic heritage of previous authoritarian governments. Yet newly established democratic governments must deliver on the expectations of their people, especially the poorer strata, otherwise disillusionment may open the door to restoration of authoritarian rule. Can democracy succeed? Various ideas for economic policies that may help consolidate the early democratisation process are proposed in this volume, while major obstacles on the way to democratic success are also highlighted. Contributors include: Alissa Amico, Laura El-Katiri, Philippe Fargues, Bassam Fattouh, Steffen Hertog, Giacomo Luciani, Samir Makdisi, Adeel Malik, Bassem Snaije, Robert Springborg, and Eckart Woertz.
Table of ContentsForeword Preface List of Figures List of Tables List of Acronyms and Abbreviations Notes on Contributors 1 Introduction: In Search of Economic Policies to Stabilise Democratic Transitions Giacomo Luciani 2 Reflections on the Arab Uprisings Samir Makdisi 3 Rethinking the Rentier Curse Adeel Malik 4 Brief Political Economy of Energy Subsidies in the Middle East and North Africa Laura El-Katiri and Bassam Fattouh 5 The political economy of distribution in the Middle East: is there scope for a new social contract? Steffen Hertog 6 Arab States as Shareholders: Origins and Consequences Alissa Amico 7 Can Finance and Credit Enable Economic Growth and Democracy? Bassem Snaije 8 Agriculture and Development in the Wake of the Arab Spring Eckart Woertz 9 Mass Migration and Uprisings in Arab countries: An Analytical Framework Philippe Fargues 10 Egypt’s Economic Transition: Challenges and Prospects Robert Springborg 11 Oil Rent and Regional Economic Development in MENA Giacomo Luciani Index
