Authoritarianism

persistent authoritarianism relies on a variety of hypothesis to explain the exceptionalism of the MENA region to maintain authoritarian regimes. Certain variables or prerequisites of a state to achieve a democratic reform are considered in Bellin’s article. Bellin stresses that these variables are not enough to explain authoritarian resilience in the region nor either the success or failure of states to transition to democracy. This essay will aim to validate proposed hypotheses for authoritarianism persistence seen in class according to the outcomes of the Arab Spring. Of the four proposed hypotheses seen in class: culture, weak civil society, “the rentier state”, and “the coercive state”, the events of the Arab Uprising confirm that rentier states have the capacity to…

Now that the literature on the topic has been through an exhaustive analysis, the authoritarianism of these regimes requires a comparison. Expansion of the similarities and the differences between Mubarak and Pinochet will provide a deeper understanding of the flexibility of autocracy. Egypt and Chile are an ocean apart, literally and figuratively. The regions differ greatly in nearly all facets such as origins, geography, language, social beliefs, and countless more. Examining a Middle Eastern…

Singapore were among the poorest with underdeveloped, weak economies. However, these economies were able to grow rapidly and successfully as they were under the authoritarian regimes during their period of growth. Now, the question is: How has authoritarianism helped these states in achieving economic growth? Political stability is one of the most significant authoritarian advantages to economic growth because it allows leaders to come up with long-term planning. In the case of democratic…

Science Fiction’s Perspective on Authoritarianism Authoritarianism is a form of government led by people who believe in absolute obedience or submission to their own authority, and additionally the administration of that conviction through the mistreatment of their subordinates. The stories used to compare forms of authoritarianism are “Sandkings” by George R. R. Martin and “The Little People,” a Twilight Zone episode written by Rod Stirling. The main character in “Sandkings” is Simon Kress. He…

the role of the state, the ruling elite and traditional political and civil society actors (2012). In light of these arguments, and the critique that followed from the Arab Spring, I argue that the authoritarian resilience paradigm is still useful in studying the dynamics of authoritarianism in these countries, but that it is only part of the story. Firstly, the toppling of an authoritarian leader does not mean that authoritarianism in these countries automatically has come to an end. As such…

Democratization is not typically associated with the Middle East and North Africa. There are a variety of factors that can explain why this is the case. There is a lack or presence of civil society, the state controls the economy, the people are disadvantaged, the location of the Middle East and North Africa is disadvantageous for democracy, and the culture of the region can impact the government (Bellin 2004, 139-141). In The Robustness of Authoritarianism in the Middle East: Exceptionalism in…

in a continuous cycle of authoritarian regimes; only interrupted by brief periods of tumultuous democratic transitions, that were often plagued by the inability of the democratic system itself to function and ineptitude by the leaders who were in power. Therefore, by and by, Russia always turned towards authoritarianism. However, when the Soviet Union fell, it seemed as though the cycle would be broken, however once again, through exploitation of the semi-presidential system, democracy fell…

and the Philippines are formally democratic by satisfying the procedural requirements of civil liberties and elections, but the consistent presence of corruption and heavy influence of elites cast doubts on the quality of democracy, which can attest to its lack of institutionalization. II. Thailand Thailand is the first case highlighting the puzzling nature of Southeast Asia, in regard to the theory explained above. Although there is a strong presence of civil society as exemplified through…

term known as the politburo is also taken from Russian regime. The politburo is a policy making committee of the Communist party of china. The Central Committee (CC) which elects the 9 members of the politburo committee or PSC (politburo standing committee make the political leadership of China and by which CC meets annually and carries out the approval of National Party Congress. By this we understand that technically the general secretary are all elected by the CC, but in the reality the party…

These two pieces of writing together compose a greater framework for the fight against authoritarianism and a shift towards representational democracy without terrible institutions such as slavery through the government, utilizing morality within politics to avoid the need to go against the state. In Antigone, once Haemon and Teiresias plead with King Creon to release Antigone from her unjust sentence and it’s found that she dies in captivity, the civil cause she fights for lives on through…