The Persistence of Autocracy: Jordan, Morocco and the Gulf

Abstract

Through the ebbs and flows of the Arab Spring, Arab monarchies have remained securely in place. In fact, for much of their history, the resilience of autocracy has been a key feature of the Arab monarchies' survival. While the sudden eruption of the Arab uprisings may have shattered the dictatorial status quo in much of the Arab world, Arab monarchies unsurprisingly have been a pillar of stability. This article examines the genesis of monarchic exceptionalism and provides the context for this seemingly autocratic stability. During the Arab Spring, monarchies have devised different strategies to prop up the autocratic status quo. Thus far, they have fared significantly better than the region's autocratic republics, or as famed historian Roger Owen wrote, ‘Presidents for life.’ Nonetheless, the tumultuous regional environment and the persistence of the ‘king's dilemma’ among Arab monarchs shows that these regimes remain in a state of maneuvering.