Development and Political Institutions in the Middle East and North Africa

The uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa have questioned the political institutions throughout this region. This thesis examines the effect of political institutions on economic development in that region using a panel dataset consisting of 63 countries over the period 1975 to 2008. No evidence is found to prove an effect of democracy on economic development. Also, the effect of the duration a high-quality government is in power does not differ significantly from the duration a low-quality government is in power. Furthermore, oil rents do not help governments in that region to stay in power. Evidence is found that a presidential system and the quality of the regime in a country have an effect on economic development in the Middle East and North Africa.