Work

Should the U.S. promote (illiberal) democracy in the Middle East?

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This article reviews Shadi Hamid’s book The Problem of Democracy: America, the Middle East, and the Rise and Fall of an Idea. It interrogates three key assumptions behind the author’s call for abandoning a “stability first” strategy for a “democracy first” strategy in the Middle East. These include the claim that (1) liberalism and democracy are diverging, (2) Arab dictatorships are brittle, and (3) there is a stark tradeoff between prioritizing Arab-Israeli peace and Arab democracy.

Source: Frontiers in Political Science

DOI: 10.3389/fpos.2025.1513807

Author: John J. Chin

Institution: Carnegie Mellon University

Language: English

Topic: Middle East Politics and Society

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,418