The political economics of the Arab Spring
Journal
Economic Inquiry
ISSN
0095-2583
ISSN-Digital
1465-7295
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2018-01-18
Author(s)
Abstract
There were large differences in the responses of Arab dictators to the Arab Spring protests. To understand these differences, I present a stylized model of how a dictator responds to mass protests for democratization in a polarized country with two ethnic or religious groups. In this model, the dictator's response crucially depends on oil revenues and his affiliation to either the majority or the minority group. I document that the model's predictions are consistent with the observed differences in the Arab dictators' responses. Hence, ethnic politics and religious divides may play an important role in political transitions and regime changes.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
Publisher place
Hoboken, NJ
Volume
56
Number
2
Start page
821
End page
836
Subject(s)
Eprints ID
255230