ABSTRACT
In the Arab world substantive political activity tends to be confined to the informal sphere of interaction. The formal domain, such as popular assemblies, party conferences and the media are often sterile affairs drained of political argument. They rarely give insights into the political system nor cast light on the balance of power relations. Owing to this prevailing political culture, it is difficult for researchers to determine exactly where power lies in Arab polities and the areas from which ruling regimes perceive threats to their position to exist. This is compounded by the fact that documentation relating to the informal decision-making process often does not exist.
