A critical analysis of the role of oil in hindering transition towards democracy in the Middle East
This article interrogates the role of resource wealth in hindering democracy and democratization in the Middle East. It questions the familiar argument that oil wealth is a catalyst for democracy and development, and argues that in the context of the Middle East, oil wealth appears to hamper transit...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, London Metropolitan University
2010
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| Online Access: | https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/101/1/InformationSocietyAndJustice_v3n2_p95-105.pdf |
| _version_ | 1804071448209260544 |
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| author | Ahmed, Raed Asad |
| author_facet | Ahmed, Raed Asad |
| author_sort | Ahmed, Raed Asad |
| collection | LMU |
| description | This article interrogates the role of resource wealth in hindering democracy and democratization in the Middle East. It questions the familiar argument that oil wealth is a catalyst for democracy and development, and argues that in the context of the Middle East, oil wealth appears to hamper transition towards democratization. This is because oil revenues are used by the states to maintain the authoritarian monarchies through the allocation of large portions of state budget to defense expenditure and state security apparatuses that are ostensibly used to quell clamors for democratization and resist external pressures. The article also underlines the importance of hydrocarbon energy for the economies of Western superpowers and the way these powers cope with meeting their energy needs by all means possible. It is argued that Western countries face a moral predicament in meeting their strategic oil needs from a region seen as predominantly undemocratic and undemocratizing. |
| first_indexed | 2024-07-09T03:43:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | oai:repository.londonmet.ac.uk:101 |
| institution | London Metropolitan University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-07-09T03:43:25Z |
| publishDate | 2010 |
| publisher | Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, London Metropolitan University |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | oai:repository.londonmet.ac.uk:1012020-07-02T15:09:54Z http://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/101/ A critical analysis of the role of oil in hindering transition towards democracy in the Middle East Ahmed, Raed Asad 320 Political science 330 Economics This article interrogates the role of resource wealth in hindering democracy and democratization in the Middle East. It questions the familiar argument that oil wealth is a catalyst for democracy and development, and argues that in the context of the Middle East, oil wealth appears to hamper transition towards democratization. This is because oil revenues are used by the states to maintain the authoritarian monarchies through the allocation of large portions of state budget to defense expenditure and state security apparatuses that are ostensibly used to quell clamors for democratization and resist external pressures. The article also underlines the importance of hydrocarbon energy for the economies of Western superpowers and the way these powers cope with meeting their energy needs by all means possible. It is argued that Western countries face a moral predicament in meeting their strategic oil needs from a region seen as predominantly undemocratic and undemocratizing. Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, London Metropolitan University 2010-07 Article PeerReviewed text en https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/101/1/InformationSocietyAndJustice_v3n2_p95-105.pdf Ahmed, Raed Asad (2010) A critical analysis of the role of oil in hindering transition towards democracy in the Middle East. Information, society and justice journal, 3 (2). pp. 95-105. ISSN 1756-1078 |
| spellingShingle | 320 Political science 330 Economics Ahmed, Raed Asad A critical analysis of the role of oil in hindering transition towards democracy in the Middle East |
| title | A critical analysis of the role of oil in hindering transition towards democracy in the Middle East |
| title_full | A critical analysis of the role of oil in hindering transition towards democracy in the Middle East |
| title_fullStr | A critical analysis of the role of oil in hindering transition towards democracy in the Middle East |
| title_full_unstemmed | A critical analysis of the role of oil in hindering transition towards democracy in the Middle East |
| title_short | A critical analysis of the role of oil in hindering transition towards democracy in the Middle East |
| title_sort | critical analysis of the role of oil in hindering transition towards democracy in the middle east |
| topic | 320 Political science 330 Economics |
| url | https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/101/1/InformationSocietyAndJustice_v3n2_p95-105.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ahmedraedasad acriticalanalysisoftheroleofoilinhinderingtransitiontowardsdemocracyinthemiddleeast AT ahmedraedasad criticalanalysisoftheroleofoilinhinderingtransitiontowardsdemocracyinthemiddleeast |