Author Description

This book examines the relationship between economic liberalization and political reform, developing a theoretical approach towards understanding the dysfunction of the corporatist state in the Arab world and the apparent retreat into authoritarian, rather than democratic, political systems. The book examines the case of Tunisia, a country which has undergone profound economic liberalization and simultaneous political change. The roots of those changes are traced back to the failures of the corporatist political system developed by Habib Bourguiba, the father of the post-independence state. The presidency of his successor, Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, is analysed in terms of the policies and problems of reform. In conclusion, the book seeks to explain why the Tunisian state seems unable to combine its economic transformation with meaningful progress towards democratization.