The Political Economy Of The Middle East Economic And Political Liberalisation

The fourth in a series on the Middle East, this volume deals with liberalisation. It argues that few countries have been untouched by economic and/or political liberalisation, particularly the Middle East. It looks at Turkey, Egypt and Iraq along with other Middle Eastern states.

An analysis of the transformation of the political economy of the nations of the Middle East over the past several decades. The authors stress the interrelation of politics and development strategies with regard to class formation and to the definition of powerful new interests.

This book shows that co-operation between the more open regimes in the Middle East, such as Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Palestine and Turkey, could pave the way to increased stability in the region.

A Political Economy of the Middle East is the most comprehensive analysis of developments in the political economy of the region over the past several decades, examining the interaction of economic development processes, state systems and policies, and social actors in the Middle East. The fourth edition, with new authors Melani Cammett and Ishac Diwan, has been thoroughly revised, with two new introductory chapters that provide an updated framework with which to understand and study the many changes in demography, education, labor markets, urbanization, water and agriculture, and international labor migration in the recent years. The new edition also includes: a new chapter that charts the political economy of the Gulf states and, in particular, the phenomenal growth of oil economies; a new chapter on the rise of "crony capitalism;" and increased coverage of the changes in civil society and social movements in the region, including an exploration of the causes, dynamics, consequences, and aftermath of the Arab uprisings.

Economic liberalisation and reform are widely considered as the favourite remedies for the declining economic fortunes of the Middle Eastern and North African states in the past two decades. International economic institutions have been among the main advocates of transition to market-led economies in the region and a force contributing to its realisation. This has placed the state at the centre of the proposed transformations, acting both as an instrument of, and an obstacle to, change. With attempts at liberalisation worldwide spanning over twenty years, the time is ripe for a re-evaluation of its premises and outcome. The essays in this volume debate the political economy of transition and reforms in the Middle East and North Africa, drawing on interdisciplinary approaches and outlooks involving international, regional and national levels of analysis. The three central themes of the book are the rationale and strategies for reform, the processes and outcomes, and the nature of the state in the changing global setting.

The popular uprisings in 2011 that overthrew Arab dictators were also a rebuke to crony capitalism, diverted against both rulers and their allied businessmen who monopolize all economic opportunities. While the Middle East has witnessed a growing nexus between business and politics in the wake of liberalization, little is discussed about the nature of business cronies, the sectors in which they operate, the mechanisms used to favour them, and the possible impact of such crony relations on the region's development. Combining inputs from leading scholars in the field, Crony Capitalism in the Middle East: Business and Politics from Liberalization to the Arab Spring presents a wealth of empirical evidence on the form and function of this aspect of the region. Crony Capitalism in the Middle East is unique in both its empirical focus and comparative scale. Analysis in individual chapters is empirically grounded and based on fine-grained data on the business activities of politically connected actors furnishing, for the first time, information on the presence, numerical strength, and activities of politically connected entrepreneurs. It also substantially enhances our understanding of the mechanisms used to privilege connected businesses, and their possible impact on undermining the growth of firms in the region. It offers a major advance on our prior knowledge of Middle Eastern political economy, and constitutes a distinct contribution to the global literature on crony capitalism and the politics of development. The book will be an essential resource for students, researchers, and policymakers alike.

... a highly original and valuable contribution on an important and most timely topic... No other book on Middle Eastern political economy matches this one in combining clarity of focus and breadth of geographic coverage. - Robert Bianchi. An international group of specialists take stock of the problems and prospects for privatization of state-run economies and other liberalization efforts in a wide range of countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Although privatization and liberalization are frequently regarded as economic measures, the contributors demonstrate that it is the politics of such reforms that often determines the success or failure of economic policy changes. The countries under review share a variety of economic and political characteristics, yet are sufficiently different in their response to the call for privatization to constitute useful cases for comparative political and economic analysis. Countries studied include Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Algeria. The contributors are Abdel-Monem Said Aly, Laurie A. Brand, Kiren Aziz Chaudhry, Iliya Harik, Fred H. Lawson, Marcie J. J. Sullivan, and Dirk Vandewalle.

This integrated, analytic text presents a comprehensive analysis of the transformation of the political economy of the entire contemporary Middle East region over the past several decades. As did the first edition, this new edition, extensively rewritten and revised, stresses how different development strategies have contributed to the creation of powerful interests that now often block needed change. The book also retains its focus on the interaction of economic development processes, state systems, and social actors. The revisions not only include much new data and evidence but also take into account emerging issues, such as youth unemployment, impending water shortages, the experience with structural adjustment, pressures for democratization, and the rise of political Islam. The authors also give special attention to the impact of such recent international events as the collapse of the oil boom, the end of the Cold War, and Operation Desert Storm.