Arab Youth and the Quest for Democracy

Abstract

Arab Youth and the Quest for Democracy Fadi Farasin (bio) and Cihat Battaloglu (bio) Introduction The Arab world appeared immune to the different waves of democratization that swept many parts of the globe, which led to the notion of "Arab exceptionalism." Internal and external pressures were exerted on Arab regimes to democratize; however, Arab regimes exhibited remarkable ability in maintaining their autocratic rule. Arab regimes sufficed by implementing superficial and narrow political reforms with a top-down approach; as a result, the Arab world did not make the transition to democratic rule. No state made significant, un-retracted "steps toward freedoms."1 The Arab people in general and youth2 in particular become disillusioned. Socioeconomic and political exclusion along with the absence [End Page 19] of conduits to implement change, drove the Arab youth to the streets and the Arab Spring ensued.3 The Arab Spring started in Tunisia and resulted in the dismissal of a long-time autocrat, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, in early 2011. Egypt and Libya soon followed in the footsteps of Tunisia. During this time, the Arab world was optimistic that democracy would spread. However, time proved that this optimism was misplaced. According to the 2016 Arab Public Opinion Survey, 55 percent of the respondents had negative views of their home countries' political situations.4 The nature of this alienation is the same before the Arab Spring and after it. Before the Arab Spring, most of the youth in the Arab streets would voice their discontent with the policies of their governments and demand freedom, dignity, better governance, accountability and a greater say in politics. A minority went or was driven down the path of radicalization.5 After the tragic events and bloodshed during and after the Arab Spring, which were inflicted by terrorist organizations such as Daesh and power-hungry regimes, a portion of those youth who were calling for political reform and democracy abandoned their demands, prioritizing their security and safety instead.6 According to the 2016 Arab Youth Survey, more than half of youth surveyed agreed with the statement: "Given the current circumstances in the Middle East, promoting stability in the region is more important than promoting democracy."7 The following sections in this article attempt to analyze the factors that drove the Arab youth to become alienated and caused them to challenge the status quo and demand political reform and democratization. It then explains how the tragic unfolding of events after the Arab Spring caused the Arab youth to abandon the quest for democracy and prioritize stability. Democratic Transition and the Role of Arab Youth The term democracy is predicated on the basic principles of contestation, [End Page 20] participation, accountability, and constitutional and institutional arrangements.8 Nevertheless, the reality of 'democratic transition' is far more complex and the drivers more diverse. The institutionalist approach argues that pro-democratic values can only emerge through learning by living under an existing democratic mechanism.9 This approach also highlights the importance of establishing robust democratic institution in a country to fulfil and consolidate democratic transition.10 However, Rustow11 adopts the elite-centered approach in its most radical version. He identifies elites as the main political actors in democratization. He believes that "democratic transition comes when political elites make the conscious decision to adopt the democratic rules of the game."12 In addition, the international dimension of democratization should not be ignored. As underlined by Huntington, the role of external actors became more influential during the different waves of democratization.13 In transitology, a vibrant, democratic, civil society is also considered a significant requisite of democratization. Bernhard argues that "democratization has only existed in conjunction with a civil society. It constitutes the sphere of autonomy from which political forces representing constellations of interests in society have contested state power. Civil society has been a necessary condition for the existence of representative government including democracy."14 In the democratization literature, civil society is seen as "a crucial arena for the development of other democratic attributes, such as tolerance, moderation, willingness to compromise, and a respect for opposing viewpoints."15 It is also highlighted as a key in the development and "teaching of civic virtue...