The End of the Means: Using the Arab Spring Revolutions as a Case Study for Machiavelli’s The Prince
Bound Volume Number
4
Degree Type
Honors Capstone Project
Date of Submission
Spring 5-1-2015
Capstone Advisor
Hossein Bashiriyeh, Professor of Political Science
Honors Reader
Christopher Ferrero, PHD
Capstone Major
International Relations
Capstone College
Arts and Science
Audio/Visual Component
no
Keywords
Machiavelli, Arab Spring, Norocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, revolution
Capstone Prize Winner
no
Won Capstone Funding
no
Honors Categories
Social Sciences
Subject Categories
International Relations | Near and Middle Eastern Studies
Abstract
This study sets out to examine if Machiavellian, realpolitik, style repression of unrest by autocratic regimes is still a viable tactic. To accomplish this, the Arab Spring revolutions in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and Syria will be used as a case study. As the revolts were for similar economic and political reasons in a similar population, they present excellent case studies. The Prince itself will be used to develop a “Machiavellian regime,” encompassing a summary of Machiavelli’s prescriptions for rulers. This is done to avoid propagating clichéd or incorrect generalizations of Machiavelli’s work. The result of the study was not kind to dictators, as could be imagined. Globalized media has struck a blow to their stability in two ways: first by providing malcontents a way to interact with otherwise pacified citizens, and second by publicizing news of brutality and crackdowns, thus making hatred for the ruler.
Recommended Citation
Sullivan, Conor, "The End of the Means: Using the Arab Spring Revolutions as a Case Study for Machiavelli’s The Prince" (2015). Honors Capstone Projects - All. 843.
https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/843
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
