Samir Makdisi

American University of Beirut | AUB · Department of Economics

Following the uprisings of 2011 only a few Arab countries have made some progress in loosening the shackles of autocracy, region remaining basically non‐democratic. This paper explains the major factors underlying the general failure of the Arab region to democratize despite the notable socio‐economic development it has generally achieved in the pa...

When can oil economies be deemed sustainable? This complex question has been profusely debated in the last 5 years. The timing of this debate is no coincidence. On the one hand, the pace of environmental degradation has aggravated, in terms of air pollution, carbon emissions and the impacts of the planet’s warming. On the other hand, volatile inter...

This chapter reviews the development experiences of the six GCC countries, which managed to avoid the explicit consequences of the resource curse. This seems to defy the prediction of the received literature for resource-endowed societies that lack political institutions for ensuring inclusiveness and accountability in managing the resource rents....

In contrast with populism's recent manifestations in the West, where concerns of its posing a threat to established democracies have been raised, in the Arab region populist movements have often played a positive role in promoting transition towards democratic governance, the Tunisian experience being a notable illustration. A main explanation of t...

This chapter offers reflections on the Arab uprisings grouped under four headings: (1) the entrenchment of autocracy in the region, (2) the unravelling of autocracy, (3) the uncertainty of the transition process, and (4) the challenges of sustaining democratic transitions. Among the primary factors underlying the general entrenchment of Arab autocr...

In the wake of the unprecedented uprisings that swept across North Africa and the Middle East in late 2010 and 2011, there was much speculation that these events heralded the beginning of a new age of democratic transition across the region. The result of a four-year research project, this book offers a cross-country analysis of the dynamics of dem...

In the wake of the unprecedented uprisings that swept across North Africa and the Middle East in late 2010 and 2011, there was much speculation that these events heralded the beginning of a new age of democratic transition across the region. The result of a four-year research project, this book offers a cross-country analysis of the dynamics of dem...

In the wake of the unprecedented uprisings that swept across North Africa and the Middle East in late 2010 and 2011, there was much speculation that these events heralded the beginning of a new age of democratic transition across the region. The result of a four-year research project, this book offers a cross-country analysis of the dynamics of dem...

In the wake of the unprecedented uprisings that swept across North Africa and the Middle East in late 2010 and 2011, there was much speculation that these events heralded the beginning of a new age of democratic transition across the region. The result of a four-year research project, this book offers a cross-country analysis of the dynamics of dem...

After a sustained period of autocratic rule in the Arab region following the independence of the Arab countries in the wake of World War II, the successful Tunisian uprising of December 2010 has ushered in what seems to be a new political phase — the beginnings of the unravelling of Arab autocracy. However, more than four years later, this trajecto...

In the wake of the unprecedented uprisings that swept across North Africa and the Middle East in late 2010 and 2011, there was much speculation that these events heralded the beginning of a new age of democratic transition across the region. The result of a four-year research project, this book offers a cross-country analysis of the dynamics of dem...

Abstract Lebanon’s consociational democracy, based on sectarian power sharing among its religious communities, has failed to prevent the outbreak of a long lasting civil conflict or periodic political crises. A major,reason,for this failure is the interaction of religious divisions with outside destabilizing factors. Simulations ofa system,dynamic,...

This paper explores Lebanon's development potential associated with greater fiscal capacity building to promote more equality of economic opportunities and productive economic activity and examines their impact on the country's likelihood of sporadic or lasting armed conflict. It is found that Lebanon forgoes a substantial amount of socio-economic...

The question as to whether religion can block economic development and institutional change assumes particular importance today because of the rise of Islamist movements and the disappointing economic performances in the lands of Islam. This paper starts from a critical examination of the thesis of Bernard Lewis according to which the lack of separ...

Since its independence in 1943, Lebanon’s national development has been profoundly affected by the interlocking influences of geopolitics and regional conflicts, domestic political institutions, and the impact of a long-lasting major civil war (1975–90).

The overall growth performance of the MENA region over the period 1960–2000 has been both mixed and characterized by a higher degree of volatility compared to the other regions in the world. In comparing the growth pattern of the MENA region within an international perspective, we have found that: capital is less efficient; trade openness less bene...

In the period under study, Lebanon, which has consistently maintained a liberal exchange system and a policy of fluctuating exchange rates, experienced an impressive expansion in industrial exports, a strong balance-of-payments performance and up to 1971 relative price stability, though inflationary pressures manifested themselves subsequently. Thi...

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1961. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 211-221). Microfilm of typescript. s

Bibliography: l. 211-221. Typescript. Thesis--Columbia university.

Cet article analyse la situation économique de la Jamaïque et plus particulièrement le système financier et la balance des paiements de ce pays. La Jamaïque a connu un taux de croissance très élevé au cours de la dernière décennie; la production annuelle à prix constants s'est accrue d'environ 6 pour-cent par habitant. Le secteur minier (...

Ces dernières années, un certain nombre de pays d'Amérique latine ont libéré dans une certaine mesure les opérations sur leurs marchés de change, et la plupart des autres ont progressivement supprimé et/ou simplifié leurs pratiques de monnaies multiples et autres restrictions. (Cuba constitue la principale exception à cet égard.) Dans de...