ther to communism or to democracy....a market economic and a bourgeoisie appear to be necessary, if not sufficient for the emergence of democracyö (1). This is an important question in terms of policy. Arab rulers and fundamentalismÆs resurgence in the Middle East generally resist democratic market reforms because they are viewed as a threat to power and control. Therefore, many Arab nations remain richer than they are developed because Arab rulers maintain strict authoritarian control over the economy. This increases the reliance of the people on the state for their welfare and decreases productivity and free market mechanisms that would foster greater development and more democratic institutions.
The following variables explain the lack of democracy and underdevelopment in the Arab states:
Lack of education, particularly among women.
Restrictions on free speech and the media.
Islamic fundamentalism in direct opposition to democratic institutions.
Lack of economic diversity; over-reliance on oil revenues.
Unwillingness of leaders to implement reforms that change the status quo.
This analysis will now provided an explanation of each of these variables. Beforehand, a definition of pertinent concepts will be provided. A conclusion will then address the policy implications connected to the increase of development and democracy in Arab states.
There are several concepts that must be defined in order to provide deeper insight into the objectives and goals of increasing democracy and development in Arab states. For the purposes of this research, the definition of democracy provided by Huntington (1984) will best suit this analysis: ôA political system is defined as a democracy to the extent that its most powerful collective decision-makers are selected through periodic elections in which candidates freely compete for votes and in which virtually all of the adult population is eligible to voteö (195). Whil...