1. Political systems in the Middle East
An overview

2. Some working definitions
Democratic regime
Leadership: Key decision-makers elected through fair and regular elections
Civil liberties: robust protection for citizens
Authoritarian regime
Key political leadership gains power through means other than fair and regular elections (consolidation of authority).
Little protection for citizens’ civil liberties (little tolerance of opposition)
Two main types: Republics and monarchies
Note that many authoritarian regimes have the institutional trappings of democracy…

3. Regime classifications in the MENA using traditional schema
Democratic systems
Authoritarian systems
Turkey
Israel
Lebanon
(Iraq)
Republics
Monarchies
Algeria
Egypt
Syria
Yemen
Tunisia
Libya
Iran*
Oman
UAE
Kuwait
Jordan
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Morocco
(Palestinian Auth.)

4. “Freedom” in 2009* “Free” “Partly Free” “Not Free” Israel Turkey UAE
Yemen
Lebanon
Bahrain
Jordan
Kuwait
Morocco
UAE
Libya
Egypt
Iraq
Iran
Algeria
Tunisia
Qatar
Oman
Syria
Palestinian Auth.
Saudi Arabia
*As measured by Freedom House in two main areas: political representation and civil liberties.

6. Complicating the categories: some points to remember

7. #1 The categories don’t tell the whole story (or even most of it)
(They are “ideal types”)

8. A. Democracies but not fully
Israel
EIU: “flawed democracy” (faulted for civil liberties: 5.29 out of 10)
Influence of the military & religious authorities in politics, treatment of non-Jewish citizens and secular populations
Turkey
EIU: “hybrid regime” (faulted for political participation, political culture, civil liberties)
Influence of military in politics (changing?), treatment of dissidents, especially Kurds
Lebanon
EIU: “hybrid regime” (faulted for functioning of government)
Consociation system and problems with the National Pact
Influence of Syria
The civil war,
EIU = Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index 2008.

9. B. “Republics” or “monarchies”? (family-run regimes)
Gamal Mubarak, the next president of Egypt?
President Bashar al-Assad of Syria

10. C. Some monarchies have (often troublesome) parliaments
Jordan
King (Abdullah II)
Can dissolve Parliament
Rule by decree
Appoint PM
Approve Legislation
Parliament
40-person Senate (appointed)
80-person chamber of deputies
(universal suffrage)
Prime Minister &
Council of Ministers
(appointed by king)
Hashemite
Family

11. Other monarchies Kuwait Bahrain Morocco
Al-Sabah Family (emir), 50-member National Assembly
Limited popular vote (only about 15 percent of Kuwait’s 900,000 citizens)
Bahrain
Al-Khalifa family (Sunni minority)
National Assembly since 2002
Morocco
Alaouite Dynasty and ruling family
Two-chamber Parliament (with real powers)
King Mohammad VI of Morocco

12. D. Where to put Iran? A dualistic system
President
* 4-year terms (max. 2)
Supreme
Leader (faqih/rahbar)
Cabinet
Council of Guardians
12 members
Can veto Majlis legislation
Expediency Council
(mediates disputes between
Majlis & Guardian Council)
Parliament
(Majlis)
Elected every 4 years
293 members
Assembly of
Experts
* 86 clerics
Security Forces
Electorate
Judiciary
* The Iranian Constitution was first passed in 1979 and revised in In addition, some of the government institutions presented here were created after This slide presents the current (2008) structure of the government.

13. E. What about women?

14. The time factor: in most cases these regime types are recent#2
The time factor: in most cases these regime types are recent

15. Regime categorizations in the MENA in earlier years

16. MENA regimes in earlier years, a sampling
Some of Iraq’s earlier leaders…

17. Regimes in earlier years
Turkey: authoritarian one-party state, 1923-late 1940s
Egypt: constitutional monarchy,

18. #3. The importance of external players and forces in shaping regime type
Colonialism and imperialism
U.S. and European interventions
Cold War and Gulf Wars
Israel (and the Lebanon wars)
Arab nationalism and Egypt
The European Union
Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadeq in his 1953 trial, which took place after the CIA-assisted coup.

19. #4. Who are the real political players (and how do they operate)
#4. Who are the real political players (and how do they operate)? Comparisons and similarities across regime types
The military
Religious groups and movements
Social players (tribes, clans, families, landlords, ethnic groups, etc)
External players (the U.S., Israel, Syria, al Qaida, etc)

20. Nonetheless, some big questions
Why so many monarchies?
Why so little democracy?
How to understand the role(s) of women in politics and power?
The power and limitations of religion in politics
Technology and the power (and limitations) of ordinary people.
How are ordinary people shaping politics in ways we do not necessarily see?