A Conceptual Framework for Analyzing Social Nature of State in the Middle East: The case of Rentierism

Analyzing the nature, social background and political instability is a recurring theme in studying rentier political systems. Scholars agree that rentier states are categorized as non-democratic systems due to economic, political, cultural and social reasons. Many countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America are among the rentier states. Exclusive access to revenues leads to their independence from the social forces. Research findings demonstrate that a set of variables including bureaucratic authoritarian political structure, corporatism, and patrimonialsm represent the parameters determining the social nature and background, and political crisis and instability in rentier states.