The Limits of Democracy: A Comparative Analysis of Democratic Backsliding in Syria and Tunisia After the Arab Spring

Fourteen years ago, the Middle East was shaken by widespread protests against authoritarian regimes, driven primarily by a lack of economic opportunities for citizens. These protests, spanning six Arab countries, held aspirations of ushering in change, reform, and democracy in the region. Today, however, the region appears more fractured, unsafe, and susceptible to radicalization compared to the onset of the Arab Spring in 2010. The present geopolitics and disillusionment in the Middle East raise essential questions for the world that this paper aims to answer. What are the factors leading to the decline of democracy following the initial spark of the Arab Spring? How can the U.S. adapt and adjust its policy approach given the rise of authoritarianism following the Arab Spring? Through a qualitative approach implementing expert interviews and descriptive data, this paper concludes that the Sunni/Shiite divide, unequipped government, the rise in fundamentalism, economic collapse, and inconsistent U.S. foreign policy were essential factors in extinguishing the flame of the Arab Spring.