The May 16, 2003 Casablanca terrorist attacks that killed 43 people in five synchronized suicide bombings shattered two myths about Moroccan politics.

Morocco exemplifies an extreme case of top-down reform, because reform comes from the king without much involvement by the opposition. In a discussion hosted by the Carnegie Endowment, Marina Ottaway presented her paper Morocco: From Top-Down Reform to Democratic Transition?, which argues that while many changes have taken place in Morocco, none can be described as democratic.