Reforming Governance in Muslim-Majority States: Promoting Values or Protecting Stability?

Abstract

Pal offers the first comprehensive analysis of Western-led governance reform projects in Muslim-majority states. Focusing on three key organizations—the OECD, the European Union, and the World Bank—the chapter traces the history of the reform efforts, their regional concentrations and overlaps, and priorities. Every region, from the Middle East and North Africa to Central and Southeast Asia, has been the target of one or another of these organizations, promoting democracy and good governance. At the same time, there has been a tension between governance reform and regime stability, particularly in the Middle East.