Political systems in the
Middle East
An overview
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…
Regime classifications in the MENA
using traditional schema
Democratic systems
Turkey
Israel
Lebanon
(Iraq)
Authoritarian systems
Republics
Algeria
Egypt
Syria
Yemen
Tunisia
Libya
Iran*
(Palestinian Auth.)
Monarchies
Oman
UAE
Kuwait
Jordan
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Morocco
“Freedom” in 2009*
“Free”
“Partly Free”
Israel
Turkey
Yemen
Lebanon
Bahrain
Jordan
Kuwait
Morocco
*As measured by Freedom House in two main areas:
political representation and civil liberties.
“Not Free”
UAE
Libya
Egypt
Iraq
Iran
Algeria
Tunisia
Qatar
Oman
Syria
Palestinian Auth.
Saudi Arabia
Complicating the categories:
some points to remember
#1
The categories don’t tell the whole
story (or even most of it)
(They are “ideal types”)
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, 1975-1991
EIU = Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index 2008.
B. “Republics” or “monarchies”?
(family-run regimes)
Gamal Mubarak, the next president of
Egypt?
President Bashar al-Assad of Syria
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
Hashemite
Family
(appointed by king)
Other monarchies
• Kuwait
– 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
D. Where to put Iran? A dualistic
system
President
* 4-year terms (max. 2)
Supreme
Leader (faqih/rahbar)
Cabinet
Council of Guardians
Expediency Council
(mediates disputes between
Majlis & Guardian Council)
Parliament
(Majlis)
•12 members
• Can veto Majlis legislation
Assembly of
Experts
• Elected every 4 years
• 293 members
* 86 clerics
Security Forces
Electorate
* The Iranian Constitution was first passed in 1979 and revised in 1989. In addition, some of the government institutions
presented here were created after 1982. This slide presents the current (2008) structure of the government.
Judiciary
E. What about women?
#2
The time factor: in most
cases these regime types
are recent
Regime categorizations in the
MENA in earlier years
MENA regimes in earlier years, a
sampling
Some of
Iraq’s
earlier
leaders…
Regimes in earlier years
Turkey: authoritarian one-party
state, 1923-late 1940s
Egypt: constitutional monarchy,
1923-1952
#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.
#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)
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?