The Dynamics of Democracy Promotion: From Washington to Rabat

Abstract

For nearly a decade now, Morocco has stood as a pillar of U.S. democracy promotion in the Middle East and North Africa. This has been a result of a number of factors such as Morocco’s historical accessibility to the United States, a young pro-U.S. monarch who is seemingly a reform-enthusiast, and the highly advertised U.S. goal of democratizing Arab nations in the post 9/11 era. However, there have been studies that have focused on particular aspects of U.S. policies toward Morocco and have indicated mixed results. The more critical works suggest that democracy is not a desired goal of U.S. policy toward this North African country. Others suggest that the methods chosen are ineffective even though the goal might be an earnest one. The least critical observers suggest democratic gradualism as being the essence of U.S. policy on Morocco. In this study, I have delved into the question of U.S. democracy promotion in Morocco through a comprehensive analysis of the various dimensions of the superpower’s policy. Using a theoretical framework derived from the liberalization-versus-democratization model of Daniel Brumberg and the rhetoric-versus-reality model of Glenn E. Perry, I conclude that while some degree of democratization is facilitated, the existing structure of the political system in Morocco is ultimately reinforced.