Commentary
In a volatile Middle East, the Omani port of Duqm offers stability, neutrality, and opportunity. Could this hidden port become the ultimate safe harbor for global trade?
Giorgio Cafiero, Samuel Ramani
{
"authors": [
"Amaney Jamal",
"Mark Tessler"
],
"type": "commentary",
"blog": "Sada",
"centerAffiliationAll": "",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "",
"programs": [],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"Middle East"
],
"topics": [
"Political Reform",
"Democracy",
"Foreign Policy"
]
}
Source: Getty
Commentary
Has the United States Poisoned Democracy in the Arab World?
Polling data from several Arab countries suggest that the connection between anti-Americanism and sentiments toward democracy is not as obvious as it might seem.
By Amaney Jamal and Mark Tessler
Published on Oct 8, 2008
Has the association of democracy promotion with U.S. foreign policy, and especially with the occupation of Iraq, spawned a backlash and led ordinary Arab citizens to question whether democracy is appropriate for their countries? Certainly the United States’ lack of even-handedness in dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has long been a major Arab complaint, and more recently the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq have given rise to widespread anti-American sentiment in the Arab world. Associated with this is U.S. government insistence that its actions in Iraq are part of an effort to promote democracy in the Arab world.
To examine the relationship between anti-Americanism based on antipathy toward U.S. foreign policy, on the one hand, and views about desirability of democracy on the other, we analyze data from the Arab Barometer project. With scientific and administrative leadership provided by a team that includes prominent scholars from five Arab countries, as well as the present authors, the Arab Barometer carried out in 2006-2007 face-to-face interviews with large and representative national samples of ordinary citizens in seven Arab societies: Algeria, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, and Yemen. A total of 8,555 men and women were interviewed. Information about the organization, methodology and findings of the Arab Barometer may be found at http://www.arabbarometer.org/.
Three charts based on data from the Arab Barometer surveys are presented in order to assess whether and how anti-Americanism and judgments about U.S. foreign policy influence attitudes about democracy. The first chart examines the level of support for democracy in the seven Arab Barometer countries and shows that support is consistently strong. Respondents were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the following statement, “Democracy may have its problems, but is better than any other form of government.” As shown in Chart 1, overwhelming majorities agreed: 74 percent in Jordan, 79 percent in Palestine, 92 percent in Morocco, 82 percent in Lebanon, 63 percent in Yemen, 69 percent in Algeria, and 85 percent in Kuwait. Other questions about democracy produced similar response patterns.
Chart 1: Support for Democracy in the Arab World
A second chart presents responses to a question about U.S. democracy promotion efforts. It asks whether respondents agree or disagree that “U.S. democracy promotion policies toward Arab countries are good.” This question was asked in five of the Arab Barometer countries, and in all cases but one those who disagree are much more numerous than those who agree. The percentage of respondents who disagree that U.S. democracy promotion policies are good ranges from 64 percent in Jordan to 73 percent in Algeria. The one exception is Kuwait, where only 38 percent take this position. This may be, in part, because people remember and appreciate the United States’ role in pushing out the Iraqi forces that invaded in 1990.
Chart 2: Views of U.S. Democracy Promotion Policies
The view that U.S. actions in the Arab world are not contributing to democratization hints at broader discontent with U.S. involvement in the region. Indeed, as shown in Chart 3, dissatisfaction with U.S. policy is strong enough to lead many Arab citizens to agree with a statement that asks whether “U.S. involvement in the region justifies armed operations against the U.S. everywhere.” Although this question was not asked or did not yield reliable data in two countries, Morocco and Yemen, responses from the other five Arab Barometers countries show substantial support for this proposition. Specifically, 61 percent in Jordan, 66 percent in Palestine, 67 percent in Algeria, 58 percent in Kuwait, and 37 percent in Lebanon believe it is legitimate, given U.S. involvement in the region, to use violence against the United States.
Chart 3: Are Armed Operations against the U.S. Justified?
We may now return to the question raised at the outset. Does the anti-Americanism evident in Arab judgments about U.S. foreign policy (which incidentally is not reflected in responses to questions that ask about American culture or the American people) incline ordinary Arab citizens to be less supportive of democracy? Although most Arabs favor democracy, Chart 1 shows that in some countries as many as one-third do not. Are these individuals disproportionately likely to be those who are most critical of the U.S.?
We test this proposition by comparing the extent of support for democracy among those who agree and those who disagree that U.S. involvement in the Arab world justifies armed operations. Such a comparison makes clear that the proportion of those supporting democracy is almost identical in the two categories. In other words, those who are angry enough at the United States to justify attacks on U.S. targets are just as likely to support democracy in their own countries as are those who do not justify such attacks. This is the case in all five of the countries for which Arab Barometer data are available. Thus, our data do not support the argument that Arab popular support for democracy has been undermined, and the concept itself has been discredited, by the anti-Americanism that results from Arab complaints about U.S. foreign policy.
Amaney Jamal is assistant professor of Politics at Princeton University. Mark Tessler is Samuel J. Eldersveld Collegiate Professor and vice provost for International Affairs at the University of Michigan.
About the Authors
Amaney Jamal
, Dean of the Princeton School for Public and International Affairs and Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton University
Mark Tessler
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 Sada
- Duqm at the Crossroads: Oman’s Strategic Port and Its Role in Vision 2040
- Sub-Saharan African Migrants in Morocco: Security Concerns and the Test of Human RightsCommentary
Is Morocco’s migration policy protecting Sub-Saharan African migrants or managing them for political and security ends? This article unpacks the gaps, the risks, and the paths toward real rights-based integration.
Soufiane Elgoumri
- A House Divided: How Internal Power Struggles Shape Iraq’s Foreign PolicyCommentary
Iraq’s foreign policy is being shaped by its own internal battles—fractured elites, competing militias, and a state struggling to speak with one voice. The article asks: How do these divisions affect Iraq’s ability to balance between the U.S. and Iran? Can Baghdad use its “good neighbor” approach to reduce regional tensions? And what will it take for Iraq to turn regional investments into real stability at home? It explores potential solutions, including strengthening state institutions, curbing rogue militias, improving governance, and using regional partnerships to address core economic and security weaknesses so Iraq can finally build a unified and sustainable foreign policy.
Mike Fleet
- The Role of E-commerce in Empowering Women in Saudi Arabia: Assessing the Policy PotentialCommentary
How can Saudi Arabia turn its booming e-commerce sector into a real engine of economic empowerment for women amid persistent gaps in capital access, digital training, and workplace inclusion? This piece explores the policy fixes, from data-center integration to gender-responsive regulation, that could unlock women’s full potential in the kingdom’s digital economy.
Hannan Hussain
- A War Fueled by Hate Speech: Sudan’s Fall into FragmentationCommentary
Hate speech has spread across Sudan and become a key factor in worsening the war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces. The article provides expert analysis and historical background to show how hateful rhetoric has fueled violence, justified atrocities, and weakened national unity, while also suggesting ways to counter it through justice, education, and promoting a culture of peace.
Samar Sulaiman
