“Waves” of Western Literature on “Democratization in the Arab World”: Genuine Analyses or Political Exigencies?

It has become commonplace among Western scholars to treat supposed processes of “democratization” in terms “waves” since Samuel Huntington’s seminal book published 1991—The Third Wave. The literature on “democratization the Arab world” is no exception, and some have labeled uprisings that began late 2010 “fourth wave democratization”. main research question this article whether consists genuine scholarly analyses political change world or it instead reflective exigencies West. This defends latter position, asserts there are indeed waves rather than so-called “waves argues been U.S. leadership from its very beginning by discussing relationship anti-Communist Modernization school development emerged United States early Cold War years. also demonstrates a striking continuity within themes covered despite decades-long existence.