Social Protection and The Politics of Anger in the Middle East and North Africa

Cerami, Alfio (2015): Social Protection and The Politics of Anger in the Middle East and North Africa. Published in: Social Policies (Politiche Sociali) No. 1 (1 January 2015): pp. 115-135.

Abstract

This article investigates the confessional resource dependent welfare regimes of the Middle East and North Africa. It emphasizes the elite-captured nature of resources as well as the dependence of these regimes on oil and gas revenues or the acquisition from state-assets. The article pays a special attention to religious and other non-state actors in the administration and delivery of social protection. By examining key institutional features in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Jordan, Morocco, Syria, Yemen and Tunisia, the article also highlights the ways in which differential sets of social protection institutions succeeded in ensuring social peace and loyalty to the regimes. In addition, by identifying shortcomings and strengths in the administration of public goods, the article highlights the prospects for future and more successful reforms. In the conclusions, the «politics of anger» that led to the Arab Spring of 2011 is briefly elucidated.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: social protection; welfare regimes; corruption; resource curse; Middle East and North Africa; politics of anger.
• Subjects: E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics > E3 - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles > E30 - General; F - International Economics > F5 - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I3 - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics; P - Economic Systems > P1 - Capitalist Systems; P - Economic Systems > P4 - Other Economic Systems > P44 - National Income, Product, and Expenditure ; Money ; Inflation; P - Economic Systems > P4 - Other Economic Systems > P48 - Political Economy ; Legal Institutions ; Property Rights ; Natural Resources ; Energy ; Environment ; Regional Studies; P - Economic Systems > P5 - Comparative Economic Systems

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