Authoritarian Devices and Political Changes: The Case of Egypt and Morocco

The legend of the French Revolution has accustomed us to the idea that the people overthrew the government and the primary explanation for the change was to be found in the social movement that had formed. The “Arab Spring” has not helped to temper this view; quite the contrary. I shall endeavor to show that even prior to these political crises, there has been a weakening of authoritarianism itself. The explanation of the “Arab Spring” is to be sought, first, in that weakening. The study focuses on a comparison between Morocco and Egypt.