National Defense University Symposium on Propects for Security in the Middle East, Panel 2: Democratization in the Region
Abstract
In his classic book on democratizationi Robert Dahl argues that democracy can occur in authoritarian regimes when there is an increase in both liberalization, such as freedom of association or freedom of expression, and participation like power sharing and meaningful elections. If liberalization alone takes place, the authoritarian regime evolves only into competitive oligarchies which control the country. If participation alone takes place without liberalization, the system becomes only an inclusive hegemony . This model fits the Arab-Persian Gulf monarchies quite well. Today, one could describe Saudi Arabia as a society increasingly composed of competitive oligarchies , but it is very far from evolving towards democracy. The Saudi oligarchies are not actually families but are competing social actors: the Salafis, the civil service, the merchants, and large sections of the Royal Family. The senior members of the Royal Family are the only arbiters between the various groups and therefore indispensable group to maintain its position vis a vis the other. Economic development does not play a great role in the Dahl format, and in the Gulf is not a direct causal variable in pushing for democracy. However, the tremendous economic development that has taken place in the Gulf in the past 40 years has had a great impact on everyday life, but in the region it enters the democracy puzzle only in an indirect way. As the countries economies grow, the need for skills is met in great part by foreign labor. Today, the educational systems are being revamped more or less quickly to create the skills needed to replace the guest-arbeiters. However, in Saudi Arabia, these changes in the educational system are slight compared to the overreaching religious Salafi curriculum. However, the small efforts to teach practical skills made in 2005 coupled with increasing pressure from educated women pushing to enter the work force threaten the Salafis hold on society.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 21, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA442140
Entities
People
- Jean F. Seznee
Organizations
- National Defense University