Coercive Power in the Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Coercive Power in the Middle East - Essay Example   The authoritarian government remains in power by opposing political discourse and fighting against reformists. The purpose of such government is to remain in power without necessarily meeting the demands of the nation. In countries such as Iran, the president has always developed mechanisms against any internal dissent. For instance, the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has used his political power to win the election against the will of the people. His re-election in 2009 was a political manipulation, in spite of the internal dissent raised by the public against his election. This shows the effects of coercive power that authoritarian government uses to suppress the will of the people.   Although Middle East countries have shown efforts to develop the country’s economy, it is clear that they have been inefficient due to misdirected priorities. Since the government gives priority to the welfare of the leaders and those close to leadership, they fail to focus on th e shaping of the nation. Economists have criticized heavy economic spending of most Middle East countries on issues such as security and developing international networks that support their leadership. In Egypt, the government has spent a lot of money on security leading to the bankruptcy of its economy. Egypt spends over $2 billion on security, of which the money is the foreign aid that the government gets for the United States. Iran spends over 30 billion that it earns from its government from oil sales to cover for its security framework.