Introduction

For decades, Arab rulers had offered their people a deal: the state would provide subsistence by way of government jobs, subsidies, and the most basic of services, and the people would comply. In the early years of the regime, rulers claimed that they would give the people a true voice, bypassing old elites and formal mechanisms of liberal politics. A new array of political forces has been unleashed. Allowing Arabs greater political participation will be critical. Economic reform that creates a climate conducive to a healthier kind of entrepreneurship is inextricably linked to political reform that allows Arabs to participate. For years, crony capitalists have planted the flag of economic reform to policies designed not for competition but for self-enrichment. Unemployment, staggeringly high before the uprisings, has only increased due to the economic dislocation that has followed them. Youth unemployment rates are the highest of any region in the world, particularly troubling given the vast youth populations.