PSC 321 Study Guide - Final Guide: Tahrir Square, Authoritarianism, Civil Society
18 May 2018
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Review the role of elections under authoritarian rule - How do regimes in the Middle East control
elections? What are some of the ways that they use?
● Under authoritarian rule, elections are neither free nor fair, but they may be existent
● Authoritarian leaders use elections to appear more legitimate and become more resilient
● Here are some ways authoritarian regimes control / manipulate elections
○ Co-opting the opposition (paying bribes and / or offering public sector jobs so the
opposition will drop out)
○ Coercion (placing state military or police at polling stations)
○ Ignoring the results of the election (less common)
Strategies involved as part of “Authoritarian Upgrading”
● Heydemann lays out five ways that authoritarian regimes “upgrade” in order to please
internationally-involved Western states, and to keep their own citizens from calling for
revolution
○ “Appropriating and containing civil societies” - the regime will outlaw certain
NGOs / types of NGOs, dissolve others, and put laws into practice that keep
those that do not actively support regime ideals from functioning. In some
instances, the regime will form their own NGOs, and sometimes, fund only those
that support the regime
○ “Managing political contestation” - the regime will disorganize opposition by
subjecting them to stricter regulations than the incumbent, making it more difficult
to get on the ballot. Additionally, media coverage is very unfair, favoring the
incumbent, and finally, the ruling party and the state “have become
indistinguishable”
○ “Capturing the benefits of selective economic reforms” - liberalizing the economy
makes authoritarian rulers seem like they are helping their people, but in doing
so, the regime establishes a good relationship with their country’s business elites,
getting support from a major demographic
○ “Controlling new communications technologies” - the Internet and social media
has become important to MENA politics. Authoritarian leaders have combated
this by heavy monitoring and very efficient censorship. For example, the regime
may shut down the Internet in areas where political unrest exists. Additionally,
they flood the web with pro-regime writings and posts
○ “Diversifying international linkages” - Making Western allies has been a very
efficient solution for authoritarians. By becoming allies with the West, MENA
countries can insulate themselves from international pressure
Popular Uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia - Different trajectories of Egypt and Tunisia after the
popular uprisings of 2010/2011
● Egypt
○ In Egypt, the initial popular uprisings took place in 2011 in Tahrir square, right
outside the government buildings in the capital city of Cairo
○ These uprisings lasted for almost two weeks, and at the end, longtime
authoritarian leader Mubarak was ousted
○ The country began to transition to democracy, holding its first parliamentary
elections in 2011, and first presidential elections in 2012
○ Current;y, Egypt seems to be falling back under authoritarianism, as incumbent
Sisi had almost all of his opposition put in jail prior to elections where he won
over 90% of votes
○ The military plays a huge role in Egyptian politics, likely because it played a huge
role in the fight for independence, and as long as the Egyptian ruler has full
support of the military (which is efficiently co-opted), he is likely to stay in power
○ With elections have very little effect on government in Egypt, it is unlikely that
majority will freely and fairly rule Egypt in the near future
● Tunisia
○ The initial popular uprising happened when a fruit seller was bogged down by
bureaucratic authoritarianism (struggled to get a permit, had his scales taken and
never returned), and set himself on fire in front of a public building
○ The video of his act, taken by his cousin, went viral, especially on FB, and
Tunisian’s own frustrations with their regime finally had a face and rallying cry
○ Within days, people began taking to the streets, and after weeks of protests, the
existing ruler stepped down
○ In the years since, Tunisia has had hardships, but overall, has transitioned into
democracy well
○ This transition is often credited as successful because Tunisia’s military has
historically had little to do with their politics. Politics were more easily handed to
the citizens because the military did not stand in between their own agenda
○ Recent elections have been free, fair, and competitive
○ In the future, Tunisia’s civil society will help the country stay on the track to a full
democracy, and keep Tunisia as a stand apart nation (when compared to its
neighbors)
Key Concepts / Terms
● Shagahf (see week on civil society and political participation - Jordan)
○ Shagahf is a youth movement in Jordan that is largely grassroots, and was
founded on the idea that government should be held accountable
○ They do little protesting and have no intention of looking for government support,
as they are distrustful of the long-suppressive government of Jordan
● Go-NGOs (see chapter on civil society in textbook)
○ Go-NGOs are government organized-non-government organizations
○ The existing regime chooses to give financial and political support to
organizations that support their ideals and leaders, or alternatively, establishes
the group themselves, often in an attempt to seem less repressive domestically
and internationally
● Supreme leader (Iran)
○ Iran uses the title “supreme leader” as the official title for their ruler, Ali
Khamenei. He rules all politics and can only be disagreed with by the faqih
Document Summary
Under authoritarian rule, elections are neither free nor fair, but they may be existent. Authoritarian leaders use elections to appear more legitimate and become more resilient. Here are some ways authoritarian regimes control / manipulate elections. Co-opting the opposition (paying bribes and / or offering public sector jobs so the opposition will drop out) Coercion (placing state military or police at polling stations) Ignoring the results of the election (less common) Heydemann lays out five ways that authoritarian regimes upgrade in order to please internationally-involved western states, and to keep their own citizens from calling for revolution. Appropriating and containing civil societies - the regime will outlaw certain. Ngos / types of ngos, dissolve others, and put laws into practice that keep those that do not actively support regime ideals from functioning. In some instances, the regime will form their own ngos, and sometimes, fund only those that support the regime.
