ABSTRACT
This chapter examines those external political influences that have contributed to the shaping of the economic policy choices of the ruling groups in Arab countries since the 1970s. It draws examples from three countries, namely, Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan, which have been committed to a policy of economic liberalization for some time now. The chapter argues that both the international and regional environments have impacted in several ways on this shift: by offering inducements; highlighting success stories; or even placing constraints on the implementation of certain development strategies. It represents important countries from three sub-regions in the Arab world, namely, the Arab Orient, the Nile Valley and the Maghreb. The composition of the bureaucratic bourgeoisie itself in both Egypt and Tunisia has undergone important changes. The chapter also examines the concrete ways in which these two environments have helped or constrained state action during the last four decades.
