• Research
  • Diwan
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Middle East logoCarnegie lettermark logo
LebanonIran
Getting to Pluralism: Political Actors in the Arab World, August, 26, 2009
Book

Getting to Pluralism: Political Actors in the Arab World, August, 26, 2009

This volume examines the Arab world’s major political actors, assesses the weaknesses of secular parties, and evaluates how incumbent regimes have maintained their grip on power in spite of reform-oriented claims.

Link Copied
By Marina Ottaway and Amr Hamzawy
Published on Aug 26, 2009

Additional Links

Kindle - $9.99Hardback - $49.95iTunes - $9.99Nook - $10.39Paperback - $19.95

Source: Washington

Pluralism in the Arab world has not yet matured into functional democratic politics. While ruling establishments, Islamist movements, and secular parties have introduced a much greater degree of pluralism into Arab societies, the imbalance of power and interdependence among these actors limits both the degree of political diversity and its effectiveness at bringing about reforms. The Arab world is likely to grapple with political apathy, low voter turnout, dwindling membership in registered parties, and shrinking constituencies for the foreseeable future. Even the Islamists, who demonstrated great ability to organize and gain followers in the past, have begun showing signs of decreasing popularity.

Getting to Pluralism: Political Actors in the Arab World explores the balance of power between the disparate political forces of the Arab world. The essays in this volume examine the characteristics of the major political actors in great detail and assess the weaknesses of the secular parties. They also illustrate the complexities of Islamist participation in the political processes of several Arab countries—pointing out both similarities and differences. Finally, the authors evaluate how incumbent Arab regimes have been able to maintain their grip on power in spite of their claims that they support political and social reform.

Included in this volume:

  • Marina Ottaway and Amr Hamzawy:
    • Pluralist Politics in Undemocratic Political Systems
    • Fighting on Two Fronts: Secular Parties in the Arab World
       
  • Michele Dunne and Marina Ottaway:
    • Incumbent Regimes and the “King’s Dilemma” in the Arab World: Promise and Threat of Managed Reform
       
  • Amr Hamzawy and Marina Ottaway:
    • Islamists in Politics: The Dynamics of Participation
    • Old Actors and New Arenas

Advance Praise

"A first-rate think tank should produce work whose conclusions are directly useful to policy makers with insights equally valuable to scholars. This volume more than meets that test."
—Jessica T. Mathews, President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

About the Authors

Marina Ottaway

Former Senior Associate, Middle East Program

Before joining the Endowment, Ottaway carried out research in Africa and in the Middle East for many years and taught at the University of Addis Ababa, the University of Zambia, the American University in Cairo, and the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa.

Amr Hamzawy

Director, Middle East Program

Amr Hamzawy is a senior fellow and the director of the Carnegie Middle East Program. His research and writings focus on Egypt’s and other middle powers’ involvement in regional security in the Middle East, particularly through collective diplomacy and multilateral conflict resolution

Authors

Marina Ottaway
Former Senior Associate, Middle East Program
Marina Ottaway
Amr Hamzawy
Director, Middle East Program
Amr Hamzawy

Additional Links

Kindle - $9.99Hardback - $49.95iTunes - $9.99Nook - $10.39Paperback - $19.95
Middle EastNorth AfricaEgyptLibyaAlgeriaMoroccoTunisiaJordanSyriaBahrainKuwaitQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesYemenPolitical Reform

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.

More Work from Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

  • Commentary
    Diwan
    The Mecca Agreement Unpacked

    The accord represents a pivotal moment in the region to avert a security vacuum in the Gulf.

      Azeema Cheema, Mohanad Hage Ali

  • Commentary
    Diwan
    Years of Fire

    In an interview, Jason Burke discusses his sweeping account of the “revolutionists” who so shaped the 1970s and early 1980s.

      Michael Young

  • Commentary
    Diwan
    Whither the Lebanon-Syria Relationship?

    In an interview, Sohaib Jawhar analyzes the profound changes in the ties between the neighboring countries.

      Michael Young

  • Paper
    Egypt’s Military Landlord Economy and its Limitations

    The armed forces champion a form of capitalism that is generating revenue, but its reliance on rent faces diminishing returns, leaving the country with massive sunk costs and deferred returns, deepening dependency on external borrowing.

      Yezid Sayigh

  • Article
    From Hormuz to the Maghreb: The Geopolitical Reach of a Gulf Crisis

    Morocco and Algeria, each in its own way, are having to navigate the global economic fallout of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.

      Yasmine Zarhloule

Get more news and analysis from
Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
Carnegie Middle East logo, white
  • Research
  • Diwan
  • About
  • Experts
  • Projects
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
Get more news and analysis from
Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.