Constitutional Reform and Political Participation in the Gulf

Constitutional Reform and Political Participation in the Gulf PDF Author: Abdulhadi Khalaf
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789948432548
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 307

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Book Description

Constitutional Reform and Political Participation in the Gulf

Constitutional Reform and Political Participation in the Gulf PDF Author: Abdulhadi Khalaf
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789948432548
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 307

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Book Description


Constitutional Reform and Political Participation in the Gulf

Constitutional Reform and Political Participation in the Gulf PDF Author: Abdulhadi Khalaf
Publisher: Gulf Research Center
ISBN: 9789948432531
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The debate on political reform in the Gulf states has intensified dramatically in recent years. However, discourse on the topic is usually couched in terms of authoritarianism vs. democratisation. However, a more appropriate angle from which to view it, argues this new book, is in terms of the evolution of Gulf constitutions and the widening of political participation. The contributors demonstrate that constitutional reforms have so far served the purpose of consolidating the absolute power of the rulers but have also allowed the progressive development of institutions whose representative character and influence on the policy-making process has been growing. Political participation has considerably widened – partly thanks to these new or strengthened institutions – but even more so because of the increased access to information and freedom of expression brought about by the IT revolution. None of the Gulf regimes is truly democratic, and a long evolution will probably be necessary before they can be recognised as such. Nevertheless, this book demonstrates that real change is taking place and that prospects for political reform in the Gulf may even be better than in the rest of the Arab world.

Saudi Arabia and the Path to Political Change

Saudi Arabia and the Path to Political Change PDF Author: Mark C. Thompson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 085773623X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 433

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Book Description
State-society dialogue in Saudi Arabia is one of the most contested issues in the country today, yet little is known about the National Dialogue process, and its relationship with Saudi society is frequently and widely misunderstood. The first to examine the Saudi Arabian National Dialogue process in its entirety, Mark C. Thompson investigates the relationship between the King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue (KACND) and the key social constituencies of Saudi society. Since its establishment in 2003, the KACND has attempted to promote a culture of dialogue and has encouraged the debate of contentious socio-political issues by bringing individuals together from across the Kingdom. Drawing on Antonio Gramsci's theory of hegemony, the author asks whether the Saudi socio-political system is moving from a form of patrimonial state to one of ideological hegemony and, if this is the case, whether the KACND is a catalyst, or even a driving force, in this transition. Saudi Arabia and the Path to Political Change investigates the practices and the impact of the KACND and assesses the extent to which the institution's activities, and the ongoing National Dialogue process, represent a viable attempt to address emerging political concerns in Saudi Arabia. Covering pivotal issues including women's empowerment, public health and employment, the author here explores the extensive impact of the KACND's activities on internal cross-constituency communication and discourse and shows how the process relates to wider regime strategies and to the evolution of the Saudi polity. Based on approximately 120 interviews conducted in Saudi Arabia from 2009 to 2011 and drawing on the evidence of a wide range of focus groups and interviews with National Dialogue participants, KACND officials, government ministers, lawyers and journalists, this book provides a unique insight into the effects and consequences of Saudi National Dialogue, and questions the extent to which wider ideological debate is possible in the Kingdom.

Political Succession in the Arab World

Political Succession in the Arab World PDF Author: Anthony Billingsley
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135182582
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 263

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Book Description
Political succession is a key issue in the contemporary Middle East. In this new study the author examines the process and shows how respect for those in authority and tribal codes of loyalty have been far more influential in maintaining regimes than security institutions and political repression. The Arab world is faced by political turmoil and demands for reform. Many of the problems of the region are attributed to the form of leadership that dominates the area, leadership that is authoritarian and focused on regime survival rather than political change. The book highlights the ways in which family loyalties pervade political, economic and social life and how constitutions are being used to consolidate the power of ruling families in republics and monarchies. The volume explores the notion that the region’s rulers, monarchic and republican, are inclined to pass their power on to their sons, and evaluates the use they make of family and tribal networks to maintain their power. The work sees to demonstrate that despite economic and social problems, Arabs value stability and prefer an authoritarian family-based regime than government run by Islamist groups. Providing new insights into the influences on political succession in the Middle East, this work will be of great interests to scholars of Middle East studies, history and international relations.

The Other Saudis

The Other Saudis PDF Author: Toby Matthiesen
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107043042
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
This book traces the politics of the Shia in the oil-rich Eastern Province of Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia since the nineteenth century.

The Middle East in Transition

The Middle East in Transition PDF Author: Nils A. Butenschøn
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 1788111133
Category : Citizenship
Languages : en
Pages : 369

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Book Description
The violent transitions that have dominated developments since the Arab Uprisings demonstrate deep-seated divisions in the conceptions of state authority and citizen rights and responsibilities. Analysing the Middle East through the lens of the ‘citizenship approach’, this book argues that the current diversity of crisis in the region can be ascribed primarily to the crisis in the relations between state and citizen. The volume includes theoretical discussions and case studies, and covers both Arab and non-Arab countries.

Policy-Making in the GCC

Policy-Making in the GCC PDF Author: Neil Quilliam
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1786722445
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 215

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Book Description
The GCC is a major player in the post-2011 reordering of the Middle East. Despite the rise in prominence of individual Gulf states - especially Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - and the growth of the GCC as a collective entity, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the actual mechanics of policy-making in the region. This book analyses the vital role that institutions are coming to play in shaping policy in the Gulf Arab states. The research coincides with two key developments that have given institutions new importance in the policy process: the emergence of a new generation of leaders in the Gulf, and the era of low oil prices. Both developments, along with dramatic demographic change, have compelled state and citizens to re-evaluate the nature of the social contract that binds them together. Contributors assess the changing relationship between state and citizen and evaluate the role that formal and informal institutions play in mediating such change and informing policy.The book shows how academic, social and economic institutions are responding to the increasingly complex process of decision-making, where citizens demand better services and further empowerment, and states are obliged to seek wider counsel, although wanting to retain ultimate authority. With contributions from both academics and practitioners, this book will be highly relevant for researchers and policymakers alike.

Women, the State, and Political Liberalization

Women, the State, and Political Liberalization PDF Author: Laurie A. Brand
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 023111267X
Category : Human rights
Languages : en
Pages : 344

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Book Description
Brand focuses on three countries--Jordan, Tunisia, and Morocco--with special attention to issues such as access to contraception and abortion, labor, pension, criminal legislation, protection against harassment and violence, and the degree of women's participation in government.

Salman's Legacy

Salman's Legacy PDF Author: Madawi Al-Rasheed
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0190901748
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 383

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Book Description
A timely look at the personalities and factions contending for power in Riyadh as one princely order crumbles and another asserts itself

The UAE and Foreign Policy

The UAE and Foreign Policy PDF Author: Khalid S. Almezaini
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136717307
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 193

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Book Description
This book offers a concise and detailed analysis of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) foreign aid as a main instrument in its foreign policy. Exploring the cultural factors that have impacted on the foreign policy behaviour of the UAE and its foreign aid, the author argues that Arabism and Islamic traditions have shaped the country’s foreign policy in general and foreign aid in particular. Examining in depth the motives and purposes of this large aid program through the lens of International Relations theories (mainly Constructivism and Rationalism), the book details the UAE’s foreign policy and aid program since its inception. Drawing on a comprehensive analysis of two major recipients of aid from the UAE – Palestine and Pakistan – the focus moves beyond the UAE to show how cultural factors have impacted on the behaviour of the authorities across the wider Arab Middle East. This critical assessment and analysis of the UAE’s foreign policy will be of particular interest to students, researchers and academics interested in Middle East studies, the Gulf States, Middle East politics, and foreign aid and foreign policy.