The Relationship between Economic Development and Political Stability: Iraq as a Case Study for the Period 1970-2014

Abstract

Mesopotamia, the ancient name of Iraq, which has a deep culture extends to more than 10,000 years, has huge potentials, physical and human resources, that help it to achieve sustained economic development, but that country, because of wars, political and social instability, have slow growth, development, and destruction of economic and human potentials. Through a quick look for the period 1980-2014, we can note that it included the Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988, which cost Iraq about a million dead, millions of orphans, widows, large destruction of infrastructure، and billions of dollars. By 1990 Iraq occupied Kuwait, its neighboring, and then the Gulf War had started. As a result of that war, the United Nations imposed economic sanctions on Iraq, which continued till 2003, after the United States invaded Iraq, then the political and social chaos and instability started, and continued to this day, which may cause a decline in the growth and economic development. The paper analyzes the relationship between economic development and political and social stability in Iraq for the period 1980-2014.