What explains the lack of democracy and underdevelopment in Arab states? There are many explanations for the lack of democracy and underdevelopment in Arab states. However, the main reason for this failure is the mind-set of rulers of Arab states who resist any efforts viewed as a threat to their power. When commenting on the lack of development in the Middle East, political analyst Anthony Cordesman (2001) argues, ôA great deal of the explanation lies in the fact that many Middle Eastern states have no enemy greater than their own governmentsö (3). It is important to understand the reasons for the lack of democracy and underdevelopment in the Middle East because of four primary reasons: 1) The future of democracy is closely related to the future freedom of the world; 2) The future of democracy worldwide is extremely important to U.S. interest; 3) The greater integration of nations causes greater conflict between democratic nations and authoritarian or totalitarian nations; and 4) The rise or fall of democracy is intimately linked to social values like economic growth, socioeconomic parity, political stability, social justice and national independence (Huntingdon, 1984, 193-94).
Does increased democracy lead to increased development or does increased development lead to increased democracy? Increased development leads to increased democracy. This is because some of the variables that are critical for the formation of democracy are reliant upon the economy and development. Huntington (1984) argues that economic growth is the chief requisite for promoting democracy, mainly because it distributes income to different classes or groups who gain a measure of power that enables them to influence policies. As Anderson (2001) says of HuntingtonÆs view, ôHe identified an economic æzone of transitionùcorresponding to the upper third of the World BankÆs middle-income countriesùin which traditional authoritarianism led the way ei...