Kuwait's Politics Before Independence

Kuwait's Politics Before Independence PDF

Author: Abdulrahman Alebrahim

Publisher:

Published: 2019-09

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13: 9783959940726

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This book re-examines the historiography of constitutional development in Kuwait. It argues that existing scholarship on the subject has several shortcomings due to the lack of consideration given to the role played by some important social forces in the Kuwaiti political scene. Most historians working on Kuwait's modern politics have focussed on two forces: the ruling family and the merchants. Although these two actors have undeniably been the most influential, other segments of society, such as the labour force, the villagers, the intelligentsia and the religious scholars, should not be overlooked. These forces have had a decisive impact, with varying levels of influence across time, on the balance of power in Kuwait. This book generates new insights by considering the role of these balancing forces in influencing the struggle between the sheikhs and the merchants over the nature of the political system in Kuwait between 1921 and 1962.

The Resilience of Parliamentary Politics in Kuwait

The Resilience of Parliamentary Politics in Kuwait PDF

Author: VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR COURTNEY. FREER

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2024

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 0197570364

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The first English language political history of Kuwaiti parliament, this book provides an unprecedented holistic treatment of grassroots contemporary Kuwaiti politics in English in over two decades, incorporating the country's political dynamics into broader debates about the limits of authoritarianism and the practice of democracy in the Arab world, particularly in oil-wealthy states. Author Courtney Freer uses the lens of parliamentary elections as a means of understanding the political ideologies that have dominated in Kuwait since independence. As such, it situates the dynamics of Kuwaiti politics within broader political science debates about whether democratic institutions in "hybrid regimes" are meaningful arenas for popular contestation or only serve to enhance autocratic rule. Given the varying portrayals of Kuwait as robust authoritarianism, "upgraded" authoritarianism, or a noteworthy site of democratic participation, The Resilience of Parliamentary Politics in Kuwait: Parliament, Rentierism, and Society focuses on the ideologies that have mobilized political blocs, rather than solely focusing on the institutions of political power themselves. Freer includes extensive fieldwork and the use of Arabic and English primary sources to assess and examine the institutional setting that Kuwait presents and traces the dominant ideological strands in the country, considering the comparative mobilizational potential of ascriptive identities like tribe and sect.

Kuwait's Foreign Policy

Kuwait's Foreign Policy PDF

Author: Abdul-Reda Assiri

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-12-17

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 9780367162641

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This book assesses the dynamics of Kuwaiti foreign policy since 1961 and explores the role of Kuwait as a small state in international politics. It analyzes the impact of ideology, religion, and value systems on Kuwaiti foreign policy as well as the impact of domestic forces on political actors.

Kuwait: the Transformation of an Oil State

Kuwait: the Transformation of an Oil State PDF

Author: Jill Crystal

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-04-14

Total Pages: 206

ISBN-13: 1317242041

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Kuwait, unlike most of its neighbours, has a well-established national identity and a long history as a nation, dating back to the eighteenth century. In this book, first published in 1992, Dr. Jill Crystal focuses on two recurring themes in Kuwaiti history: one, the preservation of a sense of community in the face of radical economic, social and political transformations; the second, internal rivalry over the conventions governing relations among members of the community. Crystal skilfully weaves these themes into a broad profile of Kuwait, analysing the nation’s transformation from a pre-oil to an oil economy; its social structure and composition, including the country’s tribal roots and key divisions involving class, gender and immigrant labour; political tensions resulting from the nation’s sudden wealth and the accompanying changes in social structure; and its relations with other countries in the Gulf and the Middle East.

Stories of Democracy

Stories of Democracy PDF

Author: Mary Ann Tétreault

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 332

ISBN-13: 9780231114899

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A sophisticated investigation of the shifting tides of democratic governance in modern Kuwait from 1921 to the present based on interviews both with political activists and members of the political elite, Stories of Democracy sheds light on a wide array of issues concerning Middle Eastern politics and democratic institutions in general. Mary Ann Tétreault explores how various political factions have sought to advance their own notions of Kuwaiti history and politics through distinctive popular appeals: (1) pro-democracy forces focusing on Kuwait's relationship to the universal values of the democratic world around them, and (2) anti-democrats proffering Arab and Muslim religious and cultural traditions. She explores how such dramatic events as the suspension of the Kuwaiti constitution in 1986 and the invasion by Iraq in 1990 occasioned major shifts in the course of the democracy movement. The current running through virtually all of the nation's political drama is the monolithic Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), used by the government as an instrument of economic strength to safeguard sovereignty in the absence of military might.

The History of Kuwait

The History of Kuwait PDF

Author: Michael S. Casey

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2007-08-30

Total Pages: 185

ISBN-13: 1573567477

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The tiny country of Kuwait grabbed the world's attention during the Gulf War, during which its natural petroleum resource became the envy of its neighboring country of Iraq. But Kuwait's history goes back long before any oil was discovered, back to Mesopotamian settlements as early as 3000 BCE. Ideal for high school students as well as general readers, History of Kuwait offers a comprehensive look at how such a small country could, essentially, rule the world with just one natural resource. From sheikhdom to British protectorate to independence to invasion, Kuwait's history is long and rich with culture. Michael S. Casey demonstrates how this Middle Eastern gem has grown throughout the centuries.

Kuwait

Kuwait PDF

Author: Abdulkarim Dekhayel

Publisher: Ithaca Press

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13:

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Kuwait gained its official political independence from Britain in 1961. Now an independent modern state, it has been ruled by the Al Sabah family since the mid-18th century. Centring on the Kuwaiti state's functional role in the process of political legitimation in an oil-rentier economy, this book is a study of how the state performs roles aimed to distribute substantial welfare and economic benefits to different segments of Kuwaiti society, and how these benefits enable the Al Sabah regime to win the compliance, acceptance and support of the Kuwaiti people.

The Resilience of Parliamentary Politics in Kuwait

The Resilience of Parliamentary Politics in Kuwait PDF

Author: Courtney Jean Freer

Publisher:

Published: 2024

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780197570388

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"This book is the first English language political history of Kuwaiti parliament. It also provides the first holistic treatment of grassroots contemporary Kuwaiti politics in English in over two decades, incorporating the country's political dynamics into broader debates about the limits of authoritarianism and the practice of democracy in the Arab world, particularly in oil-wealthy states. This book uses the lens of parliamentary elections as a means of understanding the political ideologies that have dominated in Kuwait since independence. As such, it situates the dynamics of Kuwaiti politics within broader political science debates about whether democratic institutions in "hybrid regimes" are meaningful arenas for popular contestation or only serve to enhance autocratic rule. Given the varying portrayals of Kuwait as robust authoritarianism, "upgraded" authoritarianism, or a noteworthy site of democratic participation, this book focuses on the ideologies that have mobilized political blocs, rather than solely focusing on the institutions of political power themselves. The book also assesses and examines the institutional setting that Kuwait presents and traces the dominant ideological strands in the country, as well as consider the comparative mobilizational potential of ascriptive identities like tribe and sect. The book includes extensive fieldwork and the use of Arabic and English primary sources"--

Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah

Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah PDF

Author: Souad M. Al-Sabah

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2015-02-02

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 0857724754

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Sheikh Mubarak was the founder of the modern state of Kuwait. But the man who actually led Kuwait to modernity was his son Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah, one of the most significant figures of Kuwait from the 1940s to Kuwaiti independence in 1961. Largely responsible for the creation of the Kuwaiti defence forces, Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah made a point of prioritising what he saw to be Kuwait's national interests in the face of British, American and Iranian pressures during a crucial period of change. He developed carefully crafted, cautious relations with foreign oil companies and secured Kuwait's economic standing through his driven and single-minded policies. The author here presents this part-biography, part-history of modern Kuwait, with fresh new research and insights. From America's drive to build stronger connections in the region in the 1950s, when both the Cold War and Arab nationalisms were in full play, to sensitive diplomatic issues such as water, border disputes and difficult interactions with Iraq, especially following the 1958 revolution of Abd al-Karim Qasim, the author examines Kuwait's relations with its neighbours and the West, and the role played by this pivotal figure in the country's history and development. This book makes a significant contribution to understanding the complex politics of modern Kuwait and the recent history of the Gulf States.

Gender and Politics in Kuwait

Gender and Politics in Kuwait PDF

Author: Meshal Al-Sabah

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2013-07-11

Total Pages: 370

ISBN-13: 0857722603

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The role of women in politics in the Gulf is a much-debated and often little-understood subject in the West. In Gender and Politics in Kuwait the author sheds new light on the struggle of Kuwaiti women for political participation, examining both the positions women hold in society and politics, and the discourses surrounding feminism and civil rights. He charts the history of women and their contribution to the Kuwaiti state, from independence and the writing of the constitution in the 1960s, through the Iraqi occupation in 1990, to the struggle for the right to vote and stand for election in the twenty-first century. Drawing on the experiences of women in a range of roles in Kuwaiti society, including government, education, employment, civil society and the media, this is a comprehensive examination of gender politics and its impact in the Middle East.