An Oasis of Democracy: Tunisian Democratization and its Western Influences

Abstract

10 Years on from the Arab Spring, Tunisia is positioned to show how democracy can be successful in the Arab World. Tunisia had significant international influence on this possible success from various actors with their own agendas. This paper examines how international actors influenced the success of democracy in Tunisia by examining historical context and a variety of factors that contribute to successful democracy. The unique case that Tunisia presents highlights how Western actors such as the United States, Germany, and others, have reacted to democratization efforts by the citizens of Tunisia. This paper details each of these international actors and their impact in Tunisia, including financial and diplomatic aid. This study can focus on the international impact in an effort to outline how and where democratization efforts were successful, and where they were not. By studying these factors in Tunisia, patterns for successful democratization can be focused on and applied to the other unique situations in other fledgling democracies, in addition to strategies that have not been as successful.