The Arab Spring: Do We Need a New Theory?
- 1 Department of Economics, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
Abstract
The waves of the Arab Spring in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria, and any other country that may follow, is considered a unique phenomenon worth studying in view of the pre and post revolution events and effects on all sectors of the national economy, as well as their interlocking effects on the global economy. The current research aims at studying the concepts of the Arab Spring, its causes and its most important consequences, as well as the ability of the current economic theory to interpret such events. The most important results of the research lies in the need for a new theory to explain the Arab Spring revolutions, the new theory should based on showing how important was the technological revolution in the field of communications, the use of violence against the rebels, and legitimate demands of rebels in continuation and success of the revolutions of the Arab Spring.
- Financial Times Limited, “The Banker,” 2012.
- T. Sandler, “Economic Analysis of Conflict,” Journal of Conflict Resolution, Vol. 44, No. 6, 2000, pp. 723-729. doi:10.1177/0022002700044006001
- M. C. McGuire and M. Olson, “The Economics of Autocracy and Majority Rule,” Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 34, 1996, pp. 72-96.
- M. Olson, “Power and Prosperity: Outgrowing Communist and Capitalist Dictatorships,” Basic Books, New York, 2000.
- P. Lujala, N. P. Gleditsch and E. Gilmore, “A Diamond Curse? Civil War and a Lootable Resource,” Journal of Conflict Resolution, Vol. 49, No. 4, 2005, pp. 538-556. doi:10.1177/0022002705277548
- P. Collier and A. Hoeffler, “Military Expenditure in Post-Conflict Societies,” Economics of Governance, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2006, pp. 89-107. doi:10.1007/s10101-004-0091-9
- H. I. Grossman, “Insurrections,” In: K. Hartley and T. Sandler, Eds., Handbook of Defense Economics, Vol. 1, Elsevier Science B. V., Amsterdam, 1995.
- J. P. Azam, “How to Pay for the Peace? A Theoretical Framework with Reference to African Countries,” Public Choice, Vol. 83, No. 1-2, 1995, pp. 173-184. doi:10.1007/BF01047691
- P. Collier, “On the Economic Consequences of Civil War,” Oxford Economic Papers, Vol. 51, No. 1, 1999, pp. 168-183. doi:10.1093/oep/51.1.168
- P. Collier and A. Hoeffler, “Greed and Grievance in Civil War,” World Bank, Policy Research Working Paper 2355, 2000.
- T. Ellingsen, “Colorful Community or Ethnic Witches’ Brew? Multiethnicity and Domestic Conflict during and after the Cold War,” Journal of Conflict Resolution, Vol. 44, No. 2, 2000, pp. 228-249. doi:10.1177/0022002700044002004
- P. Collier and A. Hoeffler, “On the Economic Causes of Civil War,” Oxford Economic Papers, Vol. 50, No. 4, 1998, pp. 563-573. doi:10.1093/oep/50.4.563
- P. Collier and A. Hoeffler, “Greed and Grievance in Civil War,” Oxford Economic Papers, Vol. 56, No. 4, 2004, pp. 563-596. doi:10.1093/oep/gpf064
- B. A. Most and H. Starr, “Inquiry, Logic, and International Politics,” University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, 1989.
- P. Collier, A. Hoeffler and M. S?derbom, “On the Duration of Civil War,” Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 41, No. 3, 2004, pp. 253-273. doi:10.1177/0022343304043769