U.S. Response to the Arab Spring

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  "authors": [
    "Thomas Carothers"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center"
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  "collections": [
    "Arab Awakening",
    "Democracy and Governance"
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  "englishNewsletterAll": "democracy",
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  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
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  "programs": [
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  "regions": [
    "Middle East",
    "North Africa",
    "Egypt",
    "Gulf",
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  "topics": [
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In The Media

U.S. Response to the Arab Spring

U.S. ambivalence toward the popular democratic outbursts of the Arab Spring stems from Washington’s economic and security concerns in the region.

By Thomas Carothers

Published on Oct 28, 2011

Source: Foreign Policy Association

Speaking with the Foreign Policy Association, Carnegie’s Thomas Carothers explained that one of the most striking things about the Arab Spring is the ambivalence felt by the United States toward this popular democratic outburst, esepcially in comparison to similar democratic uprisings in other regions of the world. He explained that this ambivalence is the result of Washington's numerous economic and security concerns that could be affected by the democratic developments in the Middle East and North Africa.

About the Author

Thomas Carothers

Harvey V. Fineberg Chair for Democracy Studies; Director, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

Thomas Carothers, director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, is a leading expert on comparative democratization and international support for democracy.

Recent Work

Paper
Post-U.S. International Democracy Support: Aspiration in Search of Substance
- Richard Youngs, Thomas Carothers
Article
How Anger Over Corruption Keeps Driving Global Politics
- Thomas Carothers, McKenzie Carrier

Political Reform Democracy Foreign Policy Middle East North Africa Egypt Gulf Levant Maghreb

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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