Arab MENA Countries: Vulnerabilities and Constraints Against Democracy on the Eve of the Global COVID-19 Crisis (Perspectives on Development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region)

This book offers readers critical insights into a region in crisis and explores different facets of the crisis from governance to gender to the politics of identity, the challenge of the environment and the enduring impact of demographic variables and technological change. Whilst exploring the nature of the crises, the book also explores how policy-makers have responded to these and what other alternatives there are in overcoming challenges posed. Whilst the focus is on the Middle East North Africa region as a whole, the authors are well aware of the unique characteristics of individual countries. Hence the book examines regional trends whilst also being conscious of the national specificities of each country. In combining the general with the particular, the book approaches its subject matter from both a quantitative and a qualitative perspective allowing one to understand regional trends and country specific peculiarities. "This sophisticated transdisciplinary study combines qualitative and quantitative methods to offer a cutting-edge assessment of the current impact of three macro-dynamics--globalization, democratization, and development--on the Middle East North African (MENA) region. This is essential reading for both area specialists and social science generalists seeking to understand the latest sociopolitical and economic trends affecting the region and the world."--Manfred B Steger, Professor of Sociology, University of Hawaii and Global Professorial Fellow, Western Sydney University) "A must-read research about the Middle East and North Africa. The critical and empirical approach deserves to be praised since it prevents the research from falling into the pitfalls of ideological dogmas and religious fanaticism. Hussein Solomon and Arno Tausch are to be congratulated on such an excellent job!" --Jacques Neriah, Late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's Foreign Policy Adviser and Editor of Jewish Political Studies Review "Solomon and Tausch have produced a valuable contribution to the literature. Prospects for development in the MENA region are set in the context of a balanced appreciation of the different effects of globalisation, political culture, governance and Islam in different countries. Theoretical perspectives are combined with compelling empirical analysis ..." --Calum Paton. Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, Keele University, UK Contents 10 About the Authors 14 List of Graphs 15 List of Images 18 List of Maps 19 List of Tables 20 Chapter 1: Setting the Scene 22 1.1 Introduction 22 1.2 Definitions of the Regions Used in This Essay 24 1.2.1 Arab League 24 1.2.2 MENA Countries 24 1.3 Globalization: The Defining Process of MENA Politics and Economics 25 1.4 What We Aim to Achieve 26 Literature 28 Chapter 2: Failing States and Losing Sovereignty? Reflecting on the State and Politics in the MENA Region 31 2.1 Introduction 31 2.2 Reflecting on the Nature of the State in the MENA Region 32 2.2.1 On ``Stateness ́ ́ and Institution-Building 32 2.2.2 The Democracy Deficit 33 2.2.3 The Interface Between Religion and Politics 36 2.3 The Regional Context 36 2.4 Ineffective Governance 38 2.4.1 Transparency International: Corruption Perceptions Index (2017) 39 2.5 The Demise of the State? 40 2.5.1 The Rise of Non-state Actors 41 2.5.2 The Challenge of Demographics 42 2.5.3 Revisiting Religion and Politics 43 2.5.4 Re-examining Rentier Economies in the Light of Technological Developments 45 2.6 Signs of Hope? 47 2.7 Conclusion 49 Literature 50 Chapter 3: Achievements and Deficits of the Arab MENA Economies on the Eve of the Current Global Corona Crisis 54 3.1 Introduction 56 3.2 Background: Assessing Development on the Eve of the Current Global Corona Tsunami 57 3.3 Data and Methods for Our Comparisons of the Achievements and Deficits of the Arab MENA Economies 67 3.4 Results: Global Opinion Surveys and Data Analyses on the Overall Development Performance in the Arab World, 1960-2019 - th... 69 3.5 Economic Globalization (Inflows) and Higher Inequality in the Arab World: Mixed Results, No Dramatic Effects 77 3.6 The Global Evidence Based on Macroquantitative Data 87 3.7 Human Development 87 3.8 Rapid Urbanization, Fertility Decline and Rising Life Expectancies 97 3.9 The Cycles of Economic Development and Economic Convergence 103 3.10 A Look at Poverty and Unemployment 105 3.11 Inequality - UTIP Data Series 110 3.12 The Effects of Membership of a Country in the Arab League on Global Development and Value Indicators 111 3.13 Gender and Freedom - Naming the Real Development Deficits of the Arab MENA Countries 112 3.14 The Arab World on the Eve of the Corona Tsunami 121 Literature 131 Chapter 4: Arab MENA States and Value Change: What Happens When Economic Globalization Is More Rapid Than Cultural Globalizati... 136 4.1 Introduction 137 4.2 Background: Combining Globalization Research and Global Value Research 138 4.3 Data and Methods for Our Comparisons 143 4.4 Results: The Process of Globalization in the Arab Countries and the Arab MENA Countries by International Comparison 145 4.5 Globalization, Values and Development: A Meta-factor Analysis 151 4.6 Conclusions 161 Literature 166 Chapter 5: Beyond Patriarchy: Gender, Islam and the MENA Region 171 5.1 Introduction 171 5.2 Current Status 172 5.3 Patriarchy and Islam 175 5.4 Beyond Patriarchy? 178 5.5 Conclusion 181 Literature 183 Chapter 6: Sectarianism and the Politics of Identity in the MENA Region 185 6.1 Introduction 185 6.2 Theorizing Identity Politics 186 6.3 Identity Politics in the MENA Region 188 6.4 Beyond Identity Politics 191 6.5 Conclusion 196 Literature 197 Chapter 7: Political Islam in the Arab MENA Countries: The Evidence from the Arab Barometer (5) Data About the ``Unword ́ ́ of M... 200 7.1 Introduction 201 7.2 Background: Challenges Confronting Political Islam 202 7.3 A Contested Terrain? Arab Barometer Research on Political Islam 206 7.4 Methodology and Data for the Study of Political Islam 215 7.5 Results of a Non-parametric Index of Overcoming Islamism, Based on 24 Variables, Weighted Equally 218 7.6 Towards a Non-parametric Index of Overcoming of Islamism (1), Weighting 24 Components Equally 225 7.7 Towards a Non-parametric Index of Overcoming Islamism (2), Built on Five Different Components, Weighted Equally 225 7.8 Towards a Parametric Index of Political Islam, Built on a Principal Component Analysis of the Individual Level Survey Data... 232 7.9 A Note on the Drivers of Political Islam 240 7.10 Prospects and Conclusions 243 Literature 246 Chapter 8: Overcoming the Environmental Challenge in the MENA Region 250 8.1 Introduction 250 8.2 Nature of the Challenge Posed 251 8.3 Overcoming the Environmental Challenge 254 8.4 Conclusion 260 Literature 261 Chapter 9: The MENA Region in the Face of Covid-19 262 9.1 Introduction 262 9.2 The Nature of the Threat Posed by the Virus and Responses To It 263 9.3 Concluding Insights 266 Literature 267 Chapter 10: Conclusions 269 Statistical Appendix 272 Appendix Table 1: Margins of Error at 95% Confidence Interval 272 Name Index 273 Subject Index 276 This book offers readers critical insights into a region in crisis and explores different facets of the crisis from governance to gender to the politics of identity, the challenge of the environment and the enduring impact of demographic variables and technological change. Whilst exploring the nature of the crises, the book also explores how policy-makers have responded to these and what other alternatives there are in overcoming challenges posed. Whilst the focus is on the Middle East North Africa region as a whole, the authors are well aware of the unique characteristics of individual countries. Hence the book examines regional trends whilst also being conscious of the national specificities of each country. In combining the general with the particular, the book approaches its subject matter from both a quantitative and a qualitative perspective allowing one to understand regional trends and country specific peculiarities. "This sophisticated transdisciplinary study combines qualitative and quantitative methods to offer a cutting-edge assessment of the current impact of three macro-dynamics--globalization, democratization, and development--on the Middle East North African (MENA) region. This is essential reading for both area specialists and social science generalists seeking to understand the latest sociopolitical and economic trends affecting the region and the world." --Manfred B Steger, Professor of Sociology, University of Hawaii and Global Professorial Fellow, Western Sydney University) "A must-read research about the Middle East and North Africa. The critical and empirical approach deserves to be praised since it prevents the research from falling into the pitfalls of ideological dogmas and religious fanaticism. Hussein Solomon and Arno Tausch are to be congratulated on such an excellent job!" --Jacques Neriah, Late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's Foreign Policy Adviser and Editor of Jewish Political Studies Review "Solomon and Tausch have produced a valuable contribution to the literature. Prospects for development in the MENA region are set in the context of a balanced appreciation of the different effects of globalisation, political culture, governance and Islam in different countries. Theoretical perspectives are combined with compelling empirical analysis..." --Calum Paton. Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, Keele University, UK Front Matter ....Pages i-xxiv Setting the Scene (Hussein Solomon, Arno Tausch)....Pages 1-9 Failing States and Losing Sovereignty? Reflecting on the State and Politics in the MENA Region (Hussein Solomon, Arno Tausch)....Pages 11-33 Achievements and Deficits of the Arab MENA Economies on the Eve of the Current Global Corona Crisis (Hussein Solomon, Arno Tausch)....Pages 35-116 Arab MENA States and Value Change: What Happens When Economic Globalization Is More Rapid Than Cultural Globalization (Hussein Solomon, Arno Tausch)....Pages 117-151 Beyond Patriarchy: Gender, Islam and the MENA Region (Hussein Solomon, Arno Tausch)....Pages 153-166 Sectarianism and the Politics of Identity in the MENA Region (Hussein Solomon, Arno Tausch)....Pages 167-181 Political Islam in the Arab MENA Countries: The Evidence from the Arab Barometer (5) Data About the “Unword” of Middle East Research? (Hussein Solomon, Arno Tausch)....Pages 183-232 Overcoming the Environmental Challenge in the MENA Region (Hussein Solomon, Arno Tausch)....Pages 233-244 The MENA Region in the Face of Covid-19 (Hussein Solomon, Arno Tausch)....Pages 245-251 Conclusions (Hussein Solomon, Arno Tausch)....Pages 253-255 Back Matter ....Pages 257-268