Suchergebnisse

In 'Hydrocarbon Citizens', Nimah Mazaheri tells the story of how the discovery of oil dramatically transformed politics and society in the Middle East. Including historical evidence and public opinion surveys, Mazaheri offers a nuanced description of how ordinary people in the region think about their government and evaluate national politics. He concludes that people in oil-rich countries adopt attitudes, beliefs, and values that are very different from those among citizens in oil-poor countries. Mazaheri provides a new way of thinking about current politics in the Middle East and explains why some of the region's long-lasting autocracies have been successful in resisting the rise of democracy.

Despite the vast riches that oil brings to a nation, many oil-producing countries struggle with economic volatility and are unable to promote diversification-what is often referred to as the 'resource curse' phenomenon. This text provides a new way of thinking about the developmental challenges associated with oil by centering on how policy makers in these countries have approached the business environment for private firms and entrepreneurs

Abstract
The Middle East is facing many challenges because of climate change: extreme heat, recurring droughts, water salinization, and more. Yet little is known about how people in the region perceive the threat of climate change or about the factors associated with perceiving it as more or less of a threat. This study utilizes the Arab Barometer surveys and examines how religion influences climate change perceptions among 13,700 people across twelve countries. Contrary to arguments in the literature, Muslims tend to be less concerned about climate change compared to Christians. Yet all Middle Easterners with a strong sense of religiosity are more concerned about climate change relative to their counterparts. Political attitudes also matter. Religious Muslims who endorse Islamist government are less concerned than secular Muslims, suggesting a "culture war" on the issue. These findings show that religion exerts a nuanced and unexpected influence on how people evaluate the climate change crisis.

This article examines the relationship between oil wealth and the adoption of economic liberalization, specifically financial and investment reforms. It argues that volatility in the international oil market renders oil-producing countries less likely to adopt financial and investment liberalization. This is particularly the case for long-term oil producers in the developing world who had firsthand experience with colonialism. A statistical analysis confirms these hypotheses after controlling for rival factors. Despite pressures for countries to work toward greater economic liberalization, oil wealth and the legacy of colonialism can lead countries away from reform in certain policy areas.