A cross-country examination of authoritarianism and democracy in North Africa and the Middle East.

Introduction Ibrahim Elbadawi and Samir Makdisi; Part I. Conceptual and Cross-Country Perspectives: 1. Explaining democratic transitions in the Arab world Ibrahim Elbadawi and Samir Makdisi; 2. Overcoming induced insecurities: stabilising Arab democracies after the Spring Abdelwahab El-Affendi; Part II. Case Studies: Successful, Protracted and Painful Transitions: 3. Tunisia: the prospects for democratic consolidation Mongi Boughzala and Saoussen Ben Romdhane; 4. Egypt: the protracted transition from authoritarianism to democracy and social justice Noha El Mikawy, Mohamed Mohieddin and Sarah El Ashmaouy; 5. Syria: the painful transition towards democracy Raed Safadi and Simon Neaime; 6. Kuwaiti democracy: elusive or resilient? Ibrahim Elbadawi and Atif Kubursi; 7. Lebanon: sectarian consociationalism and the transition to a fully fledged democracy Samir Makdisi and Youssef El Khalil; 8. Sudan: transition to democracy after 2011, a dismembered state navigating uncertainties Atta Elbattahani; Part III. Concluding Observations: 9. Resistance to and prospects for democracy Ibrahim Elbadawi and Samir Makdisi.