Relatively few democratic governance assessments have taken place so far in Arab states. These states are faced with economic challenges of modest economic growth rates, weak competitiveness, high unemployment, young populations wanting to emigrate, poverty amidst vast wealth, environmental vulnerabilities and high risks to human security.

 

Citizens in Arab states consider economic problems a pressing governance concern. In the first systematic survey of the Arab Barometer project, conducted in 2006, surveys from Palestinian territories, Jordan, Morocco, Algeria and Kuwait indicate that 54 percent of those surveyed consider economic problems to be most important.

 

Cloaked in economic terms, many of these problems are rooted in governance issues. A democratic governance assessment may prove useful for identifying some of these problems and laying the ground for reform.