Source: https://www.honestballot.com/the-3-main-types-of-electoral-systems/

IPOL 347: Comparing Electoral Systems in MENA Countries - Fall 2021 

Dr. Luciano Zaccara 

As an individual who is interested in developing a deeper understanding of the functioning of democratic and autocratic forms of governance, the subject of electoral systems was of significant interest to me. I was especially intrigued to learn more about the electoral processes in Arab countries, specifically after the Arab Spring. 

Many people's sole opportunity for political engagement in a democratic country occurs during elections. Therefore, it is crucial that electoral processes are fair and live up to public aspirations. However, fair elections are a rare scene in many countries in the MENA region. Even after the dramatic political events of the 2011Arab uprising, the Middle East and North Africa region has consistently resisted the path of democratization. Although successful democratic transitions are occurring in various regions of the world, authoritarian regimes prevail in MENA. As I have learned in this class, the Middle East and North Africa region continues to have some of the least frequent and contested elections in the world. A glaring sign of authoritarian governance in the area continues to be the absence of free and fair elections. To deal with the difficulties they have faced internally and keep their autocratic reign over their nations, the region's autocratic leaders have developed distinct coping strategies such as manipulating elections to avoid being defeated. Arab regimes also sustain political repression and stifle populist demands for electoral reform by employing excessive force and sectarian tactics.  

This course was eye-opening as it shed light on the various shortcomings of the electoral systems in MENA countries, some of which I have briefly mentioned in the previous paragraph. However, a point that stuck with me after taking this class was the idea of rejuvenating democracy promotion in the MENA region. To begin the process of rejuvenating democracy promotion, I believe that states must confront the fundamental issue of how to allow emerging groups and political parties to oppose the status quo and participate in the development of laws.