An Empirical Look to the Arab Spring: Causes and Consequences

Year 2014, Volume: 13 Issue: 1&2, 75 - 87, 01.02.2014

Muhammed Kürsad Ozekin And Hasan Hüseyin Akkas

https://doi.org/10.21599/atjir.15384

Cited By: 3

Abstract

This article pursues two main objectives. First, mainly drawing on empirical evidences rather than journalistic impressions and reports on the Arap Spring, it aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the sets of socio-economic and socio-political factors that have been deeply rooted in the region for more than half a century and which have driven (and continue to drive) a wave of uprisings across the region commonly labelled as the 'Arab Spring'. Thus, this study expects to present a slightly different reading of the Arap Spring by placing the issue into the socio-economic and socio-political context of the recent past. Secondly, by considering a range of factors such as the responses of the regimes, the role of security forces, the ethnic and sectarian makeup of the societies and the politico-institutional feature of states, it explains how the unfolding of events has differed from country to country and why some uprisings have succeeded in toppling regimes and others have not.

Keywords

the Arab Spring , Human Development , Clientelism , Political Sectarianism

References

• Anderson, Lisa. “Demystifying the Arab Spring parsing the differences between Tunisia, Egypt,
• and Libya.” Foreign Affairs May/June (2011): 2-7.
• Dalacoura, Katerina. “The 2011 uprisings in the Arab Middle East: political change and
• geopolitical implications.” International Affairs 88(1)(2012)|:63–79.
• Doran, Michael S. “The Impact of New Media: The Revolution Will Be Tweeted.” In The Arab
• Awakening: America and the Transformation of the Middle East, edited by Kenneth M. Pollack et
• al., 39-47. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2011.
• Grand, Stephan. R. “Democratization: Historical Lessons for the Arab Spring.”, In The Arab
• Awakening: America and the Transformation of the Middle East edited by Kenneth M. Pollack et
• al., 21-29. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2011.
• Henry, Clement. M., and Robert Springborg. Globalization and the politics of development in the
• Middle East. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010.
• International Crisis Group (ICG). “Popular protests in North Africa and the Middle East (I):
• Egypt victorious? ”, Middle East/North Africa Report No. 101. 24 February (2011).
• International Crisis Group (ICG).“Popular protests in North Africa and the Middle East (IV):
• Tunisia`s way.”, Middle East/North Africa Report No. 106. 28 April (2011).
• International Crisis Group (ICG).“Popular protests in North Africa and the Middle East (VIII):
• Bahrain`s rocky road to reform.”, Middle East/North Africa Report No. 111. 28 July (2011).
• International Crisis Group (ICG). “Uncharted Waters: Thinking Through Syria’s.”, Middle East Briefing No.31. 24 November (2011).
• International Crisis Group (ICG). “Holding Libya together: Security challenges after Qadhafi.” Middle East/North Africa Report No. 115. 14 December (2011).
• International Institute For Strategic Studies (IISS). “The Arab Awakening.” Strategic Survey 111(1) (2011): 43-96.
• International Monetary Fund (IMF). “Constraints on Growth in the ME.A Region.” Middle East and Central Asia Department Working Paper. WP (2010): 30.
• Kuhn, Randall. “On the Role of Human Development in the Arab Spring.” Institute of Behavioural Science Working Paper University of Colorado Boulder, POP (2011): 11.
• Malik, Adeel, and Bassem Awadallah. “The economics of the Arab Spring.” Centre for the Study of African Economies Working Paper, University of Oxford, WPS (2011): 23.
• Maloney, Suzanne. “The Economic Dimension: The Price of Freedom.” In The Arab Awakening: America and the Transformation of the Middle East edited by Kenneth M. Pollack et al., 66- 76.Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2011.
• Pollack, Kenneth M. et al. The Arab awakening: America and the transformation of the Middle East. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2011.
• Springborg, Robert. “The Precarious Economics of Arab Springs.” Survival: Global Politics and Strategy 53(6) (2011):85-104.
• Stepanova, Ekaterina. “The Role of Information Communication Technologies in the “Arab Spring.” PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo No.159(2011).
• Telhami, Shibley. “Arab Public Opinion: What Do They Want?.” In The Arab Awakening: America and the Transformation of the Middle East edited by Kenneth M. Pollack, et al., 13-21. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2011.
• Transparency International. “Corruption in the MENA Region.” Transparency International Working Paper, February (2009).
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Arab Human Development Report 2002: Creating Opportunities for Future Generations. New York, 2002.
• Wilson, Rodney. “Economy: the Root of the Uprising.”, In The Arab Spring: Implications for British Policy Conservative Middle East Council, Ch.12. London: CMEC, 2011.
• World Bank. Shaping the Future: A Long-Term Perspective of People and Job Mobility for the Middle East and North Africa. Washington DC, 2009.
• World Bank. “The Worldwide Governance Indicators.” Accessed March 10, 2011. http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/index.asp.
• Yougov-Cambridge. Arab Spring Update Report. Cambridge University, August 2011.