2023/10/31 by Hannah M. Ridge · 1 voice · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Business, Management and Accounting · #Socioeconomic Development in MENA #Islamic Finance and Banking Studies #Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.1163/18763375-20231409
openalex publication_date 2023/10/31 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
Abstract The Middle East faces ongoing challenges in democratization and in corruption. This article examines the influence of wasta – a Middle Eastern form of clientelism – on citizens’ political attitudes. Although wasta is situated between citizen services and corruption, many citizens view wasta as corrupt. Using Arab Barometer survey data, this article shows that the widespread use of wasta in the Middle East makes citizens less satisfied with their current largely non-democratic governments. Wasta also increases their interest in democracy as an egalitarian alternative regime structure. Wasta users, however, are protective of the personal advantages that wasta networks afford them. Widespread wasta thus represents a challenge to democratization.