Protests over the failings of Arab regimes themselves-the poor quality of education and social services, the lack of jobs, transparency, accountability, an
The second external factor is the other Arab states themselves, who reinforce one another one another in their authoritarianism, and who over the decades have monitoring, rigging, and repression, and who over the decades have turned the 22-member Arab League into an unapologetic autocrats club. Of all the major regional organizations, the Arab League is the most bereft of democratic norms and means for promoting them. In fact, its charter, which has not been amended in half a century, lacks any mention of democracy or individual rights.