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Lädt ... The Rise and Fall of Arab Presidents for Lifevon Roger Owen
Lädt ...
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The monarchical presidential regimes that prevailed in the Arab world for so long looked as though they would last indefinitely ?until events in Tunisia and Egypt made clear their time was up. The Rise and Fall of Arab Presidents for Life exposes for the first time the origins and dynamics of a governmental system that largely defined the Arab Middle East in the twentieth century. Presidents who rule for life have been a feature of the Arab world since independence. In the 1980's their regimes increasingly resembled monarchies as presidents took up residence in palaces and made every effort to ensure their sons would succeed them. Roger Owen explores the main features of the prototypical Arab monarchical regime: its household; its inner circle of corrupt cronies; and its attempts to create a popular legitimacy based on economic success, a manipulated constitution, managed elections, and information suppression. Why has the Arab world suffered such a concentration of permanent presidential government? Though post-Soviet Central Asia has also known monarchical presidencies, Owen argues that a significant reason is the ?Arab demonstration effect, ? whereby close ties across the Arab world have enabled ruling families to share management strategies and assistance. But this effect also explains why these presidencies all came under the same pressure to reform or go. Owen discusses the huge popular opposition the presidential systems engendered during the Arab Spring, and the political change that ensued, while also delineating the challenges the Arab revolutions face across the Middle East and North Africa. Keine Bibliotheksbeschreibungen gefunden. |
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Google Books — Lädt ... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)352.230917Social sciences Public Administration, Military Science General considerations of public administration PoliceKlassifikation der Library of Congress [LCC] (USA)BewertungDurchschnitt:
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Very briefly, here are the strengths and weaknesses of the book for me.
Strengths: Owen brings a freshness of approach to this subject matter. The consideration of this phenomenon in parallel fashion across multiple Arab countries is illuminating and helpful. As well, he writes with a certain clarity and directness that at times is quite refreshing. It seems like a book that could be very helpful to the non-expert, but it holds up as credible for someone who has studied the region as well.
Weaknesses: I find some of his political-theory categories a little too neat and closed, and less illuminating the more one considers them. I think the book is open to a critique that might deconstruct some of the differences in kind that he ascribes to these leaders. I think that in general I prefer writers with a little more writerly art and definitely more philosophical rigour (and perhaps a little more psychological insight as well). Basically I feel that he is better at organizing available information about these leaders and reporting it than at theorizing about them.
Glad I read this book and I look forward to reading the others reviewed by Roberts, as I try to get to grips, like many of us. with the Arab Spring and everything that has followed from it. ( )