Political Alienation in Libya: Assessing Citizens' Political Attitude and BehaviourHow are legitimacy and alienation related? When citizens withdraw their loyalty from their political regime and leaders, they highlight their alienation. The link between legitimacy and alienation is that the regime's claim of legitimacy is in question when a state of political alienation prevails. This book examines the extent and effects of political alienation in Libya. It provides an insight into the political mindset of the Libyan people, leading up to the 2011 protests and the resulting civil war. Using a variety of measures, the book highlights links between legitimacy and alienation and underlines certain types of political behavior commonly associated with political alienation, drawing attention to various causes of indifference and violent behavior associated with political alienation in Libyan society. The book's findings reveal that alienation has led to wide-spread political apathy - as well as low or non-existent levels of political participation - among Libyans. Every year, the percentage of eligible Libyans involved in political activities has declined. The Basic Popular Congresses (BPCs), which work as an essential vehicle for political participation within the Libyan political regime, have been treated as immature institutions by the revolutionary leadership, who have remained, in the eyes of the people, the only actor of note. As a result, these trends are being increasingly interpreted as signs of the gradual exhaustion of a model for which there is no clear alternative in sight. |
Contents
The Quest for Legitimacy | 11 |
Aspects of Political Support | 49 |
Sources of Political Alienation | 73 |
Manifestations of Political Alienation | 105 |
the Effects | 123 |
Conclusion | 153 |
Afterword | 167 |
Appendix | 195 |
Other editions - View all
Political Alienation in Libya: Assessing Citizens' Political Attitude and ... Mabroka Al-Werfalli No preview available - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
adopted American Political Science Arab attending the meetings attitude authoritarian Basic Popular Congresses believed Benghazi BPCs charismatic charismatic authority citizens Colonel Qaddafi corruption crisis Cyrenaica decisions democracy demonstrations diffuse support direct democracy disapproval dissatisfaction Easton economic El-Fathaly eudaemonic expressed feel females foreign policy forms Gender Ibid ideology individuals inefficacy influence institutions interviewees involved Islamic issues jokes Journal of Politics large number Leader leadership legitimation level of trust majority males Manmade River meaninglessness Middle East movements Palestinians pan-Arabism people's authority People's Congress political alienation political behaviour political change Political Corruption political participation Political Science Political Science Review political system political trust Politics Vol Popular Committee powerless professional congresses RC members RCLB reasons reform reformists regime regime's responses revolution revolutionary committees revolutionary legitimacy role s/he Saif Al-Islam Saif Al-Islam Al-Qaddafi sanctions Science Review Vol Shebna Social support violence tribal chiefs Tripoli University Press women