Commentary
Frederic Wehrey, Charles H. Johnson
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Source: Getty
In The Media
Fourth Anniversary of the Influential Tunisian Revolution That Sparked the ‘Arab Spring’
While the tribal, sectarian, and ethnic mosaic of the region is one aspect of why democracy has not taken hold in the Arab world, more important is the lack of experience in governing institutions.
Published on Dec 15, 2014
Source: AirTalk
Speaking to Larry Mantle of AirTalk, Carnegie’s Frederic Wehrey discussed why it has been challenging for democracy to assert itself in the countries of the Arab Spring. Wehrey said while the tribal, sectarian, and ethnic mosaic of the region is one aspect, he believed the lack of experience in governing institutions was more important, arguing that these institutions are incredibly weak and quite young.
“This idea of people taking governance into their own hands is fairly new…there’s very little civil society. There’s no forms of association that cuts across tribal or sectarian lines,” he said. “The peaceful surrender of power is very new and foreign and that creates a real winner-takes-all mentality.”
About the Author
Frederic Wehrey
Senior Fellow, Middle East Program
Frederic Wehrey is a senior fellow in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where his research focuses on governance, conflict, and security in Libya, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf.
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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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