Diversity Opportunities and Their Limits

Pluralism in the Arab world has not yet matured to become synonymous with effective democratic transformation processes, and while the ruling regimes, Islamic movements and secular parties have injected a degree of pluralism into the arteries of Arab societies, the imbalance in the balance of power between these actors greatly limits the possibility of achieving effective democratic transformations. The result of this is that the Arab world finds itself, in the foreseeable future, facing a state of political indifference among a clear majority of citizens, low turnout at polling stations, and a dwindling number of members affiliated with the Licensed parties, their popular bases diminished, and even Islamists, who in the past showed great ability to organize well and gain supporters, began to suffer from the first signs of a decline in their popularity level. The book Opportunities for Pluralism and Its Limits: The Reality of Political Forces in the Arab World examines the balance of power between the various disparate political forces in this region of the world, and the studies included in this book examine the characteristics of the main political forces, and assess their strengths and weaknesses. From maintaining a tight grip on power, despite its claims to support the process of political and social reform.