Democratization Theory and the “Arab Spring”

Abstract

that inaugurated third-wave democratization theory. More than fifteen years have passed since the 1996 publication of our own Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation: Southern Europe, South America, and Post-Communist Europe. Looking back, what do we find useable or applicable from works on democratization from this earlier period, and what concepts need to be modified? In particular, what new perspectives are needed in light of the recent upheavals in the Arab world?Here we focus on three topics that have been illuminated by the events of the Arab Spring: 1) the relationship between democracy and religion, especially in the world's Muslim-majority countries; 2) the character of hybrid regimes that mix authoritarian and democratic elements; and 3) the nature of "sultanism" and its implications for transitions to democracy.Conflicts concerning religion, or between religions, did not figure prominently in either the success or failure of third-wave attempts at democratic transition. The Roman Catholic Church of course played an important and positive role in the democratic transitions in Poland, Chile, and Brazil. But conflicts over religion, which were so crucial in Europe in earlier historical periods, were not prominent. For this and other reasons, religion was undertheorized in scholarly writing about the third wave. Yet the hegemony, perceived or actual, of religious forces over much of civil society in the Arab world, especially in the country-

The impact of the Arab Spring on democracy and development in the MENA region

“…Rather than viewing authoritarianism and democracy as categories, it may be more realistic to view these regime types on a continuum. Even pre‐uprising Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, or Syria was not purely authoritarian, which Alfred Stepan and Juan Linz () described as “authoritarian – democratic hybrid”. In 2019, eight years after the Arab uprising, the label has not outlived its utility.…”

Political and Socio-Economic Change in the Middle East and North Africa

“…However, as Kongar, Olmsted, and Shehabbudin (2014) point out, this train of thought is based on a French anti-religion, secularist view that regards laïcité as an inseparable part of the democratization process and assumes that Islam is a fundamental barrier to secularism. This type of argument glosses over the fact that the majority of Muslims (who are incidentally not Arab) do live under democratically ruled states in Albania, Indonesia, Senegal, and Turkey (Stepan and Linz 2013).…”

The Arising Uncertainties from Democratization Process in Arab Spring Countries

“…Rather, he suggested the importance of structure as driver in democracy building, (e, g.,) Juan L. Linz and Alfred Stepan find that "structural elements of the prior regime have an important impact on regime paths and consolidation tasks." (Galbreath, 2012) Alfred Stepan and Juan Linz (2013) have illustrated also the fuzzy democratization process in Arab world as a new type of political regimes. They propose "the authoritarian-democratic hybrid" which represents a newly emergent phenomenon seen today in Arab world.…”