Non-democrtic States and Political Liberalization in the Middle East: A Structural Analysis

Despite significant historical and structural differences that seperate them, Middle Eastern states have almost uniformly been able to withstand popular pressures for political liberalisation. In each case, the non-democratic state’s resilience in relation to society arises out of a different set of dynamics. Exclusionary states, whether relying on their intelligence services (mukhaberat) or directly on the military, have succeeded in depoliticizing society through repression and enticing fear of political ideavours among the population. Inclusionary states, having turned street and neighbourhoods into political theaters, have successfuly diverted popular politicl energies into projects that actually sustain the very basis of the regime. Of the sultnistic states, however, only those with substantial oil wealth and a small population base have been able to effectively placate demands for political participation and accountability. The ‘civic myth’ monarchies, of which Jordan and Morocco are prime examples, have found it necessary to embark on limited but highly trumpeted processes of political liberalisation, if only as a necessry survival strategy. Elsewhere in the Middle East, however, the structural make-up of various state types make them largely immune to pressures for liberalization.