Democratization in the Arab world: challenges and setbacks

Abstract

This study aims to answer a basic question in connection with the Arab world, namely what are the reasons standing behind the Middle East’s unique resilience toward democracy. In so doing I start with an evaluation of the main theories on this subject and then proceed to an extensive analysis of the nature and typology of Arab authoritarian regimes. This article concludes with a brief overview of the electoral process in the Middle East, as an indicator of democratization failure in the region.