As impressive as this might seem, it has not been enough to propel
Kuwait into DPM status. The problem is not ethnic or religious conflict
or unhelpful allies. Amaney Jamal argues that militant Islam in
Kuwait (unlike in most Arab countries) is not threatening enough to
cause either the domestic middle class or powerful allies such as the
United States to oppose democratization. The problem is the size of
the ruling family and the key offices it holds. The emir is the head of
state. He appoints a member of the family to be the prime minister,
and the emir’s and the prime minister’s relatives always fill all the
cabinet’s “power portfolios,” enabling them to block any move toward
making Kuwait a DPM