Constitutions in a Nonconstitutional World: Arab Basic Laws and the Prospects for Accountable Government (Suny Series in Middle Eastern Studies)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.45 (832 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0791451585 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 262 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-09-24 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
He is the author of The Rule of Law in the Arab World: Courts in Egypt and the Gulf and Peasant Politics in Modern Egypt: The Struggle Against the State.. Nathan J. Brown is Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University
Uses the Arab experience to explain the appeal of constitutional documents to authoritarian political regimes.The collapse of authoritarian regimes and the global resurgence of liberal democracy has led to a renewed interest in constitutions and constitutionalism among scholars and political activists alike. This book uses the Arab experience to explain the appeal of constitutional documents to authoritarian regimes and assesses the degree to which such constitutions can be used in the effort to make the regimes more accountable. This is particularly interesting in
He demonstrates how rulers can use law and constitutions to strengthen their rule, while most of the existing literature focuses on how they restrict central power. Jill Crystal, author of Oil and Politics in the Gulf: Rulers and Merchants in Kuwait and Qatar" . This is particularly interesting in light of the last ten years of liberalization in the Third World, where rulers in Africa, for example, have had to figure out how to meet International Monetary Fund demands for a degree of political liberalization without actually giving up power. Brown understands how law fits in with the burning issues of Middle Eastern politics
Interesting Theory, Good Discussion Arnold Too often our discussion of rule of law and democracy have equated constitutionalism with a respect for rights. In this book, Brown suggests we distinguish between constitutional text and liberal constitutionalist ideals. For example, Brown makes the argument that often rulers are able to get away with authoritarian practices not in violation of their country's constitution, but because that constitution is already weak and illiberal. In many Arab constitutions, executive leaders and kings retained significant power, while legislatures were reduced to mere advisory boards.. a finely nuanced reading Don R. Brown's argument is impressively supported: although most Arab countries have constitutions, the constitutions themselves do not function as Americans would expect. However, the cynical rejection of these documents as cosmetic devices is flawed, as Arab governments do use these constitutions and they have real meaning, with some prospects for further development.With all the recent talk of 'democratization' in the Middle East, one would do well to read Nathan Brown and revisit the agenda. What is needed may not be democratization (as elections) but constitutionalism (as in. Nathan Brown argues that constitutions in the Arab world were Tengku Ahmad Hazri Nathan Brown argues that constitutions in the Arab world were written, not towards securing limited and accountable government (the goal of “constitutionalism”) but to assert sovereignty and statehood, to centralize political authority and to express ideological intention. These are often candidly and explicitly written in the constitution, so that the constitutions did not really hide ulterior motive; nor were the rulers hypocrites who pay lip service to their constitutional proclamations.Despite the nonconstitutionalist pedigree, there is limited possibility