The Political Economy of the Post-Arab Spring

Abstract

As of early 2015, it has been slightly over four years since the Arab Spring movement began sweeping the MENA region. While prediction of Middle East events have always been difficult, this has been especially the case with regard to events associated with the Arab Spring and its aftermath. A sampling of predictions show that many were way wide of the mark--the monarchies would be easily overthrown, democracy would be finally established throughout the region, economic growth would become more inclusive, and new social pacts between the surviving autocratic regimes would replace those that had become unsustainable.