MENA Welfare States: Explanations and Broader Implications

Abstract

This chapter draws out the implications of the author’s argument, both at the scholarly and at the policy level. It outlines future comparative research to assess the validity of the author’s theory beyond the MENA region. This concerns in par­ ticular the nexus between war, external threats, and social policies. By proposing the novel concept of ‘cheap’ social policies, the author argues that the book has made a first step towards a more systematic understanding on how war making and preparation shape social policies. Finally, in the light of recent episodes of regime breakdown in Tunisia and Egypt, the author reflects on the ambiguous link between social policies and autocratic survival.