Saudi Arabia, under Aristotle’s categorization, is an oligarchy even though Saudi Arabia has a monarch (King Abdullah). This is because the royal family, the descendants of King Abd Al-Aziz who died in 1953 leaving 40 sons (Raphaeli, 2003), has such a great sphere of influence in the governance and control of the country. This matches Aristotle’s definition of oligarchy as ‘the many’, the people, are ruled by ‘the few’, the Saudi Arabian royal family, with ‘the few’ benefiting and working in self interest (Heywood, 2007). This form of governance has major implications for the people of Saudi Arabia and its durability will be tested in the future, particularly in reference to the current upheavals occurring throughout the Middle East. In theory Saudi Arabia could also be seen as an example of an Aristotelian form of monarchy as the King has absolute legislative and constitutional power. However, in practice many of the key decisions are made by consensus with the royal family. Since the death of King Abd Al-Aziz the Saudi Arabian royal family appoints each monarch by vote, rather than natural succession of the throne -which is a feature present in most …show more content…
The sphere of influence and power the royal family has over Saudi Arabia is both traditionally and currently extremely significant. This can be seen through their immense wealth along with the relative poverty of the citizens, which outlines the Aristotelian concept that oligarchists rule in self-interest rather than in the interest of the people. The strength of governance is very evident relative to similar authoritarian rule in the Middle East and dissent isn’t so prevalent. Saudi Arabia is a good example of an Aristotelian form of oligarchy and it will be interesting to see if it the royal family can overcome the tides of dissent present in the Middle East
Machiavelli’s, “The Prince” is the ideal book for individuals intending to both govern and maintain a strong nation. Filled with practical advice, he includes numerous religious references to support his claims. He devotes a chapter within the book to speak about the ancient founders of states. In the chapter called, “On new principalities that are acquired by one’s own arms and by virtue”, Machiavelli discussed the importance of a prince to have their own talent in governing a nation, rather than having relied on fortune to rule. The latter is a risk no leader should take and he cited past leaders as a guide for both the current and future princes.
In summation this paper discussed the three correct types of regimes according to Aristotle; furthermore it examined the deviations of these regimes. This was done by firstly examining a regime led by royalty, secondly by observing the characteristics of an aristocratic regime and thirdly by discussing a regime ran by constitutional government. Finally defining the three correct types of regimes the deviations of these regimes: tyrannical, oligarchic and democratic were examined.
They choose their kings for their noble birth, their leaders for their valour. The power even of the kings is not absolute or arbitrary. As for the leaders, it is their example rather than theirauthority that wins them special admiration(7.1).
At the top of this government was the royal family, headed by a king. They had a hierarchy throughout the land, and maintained control through the use of their army.
Monarchy is a method where a single person oversees the government. This head of state reigns within bounds of a constitution but still creates a single entity with extreme power. Personal beliefs often override best practices.
“One Arab nation from Gulf to the Ocean,” gives meaning to the term “Pan-Arabism” in the Middle East. A notion where Arab nations transcend their state boundaries to form political mergers with other states and achieve an ‘Arab unity.’ The existence of Arab states had been tumultuous throughout the decline of the Muslim order, the end of the Ottoman Empire, the Palestinian defeat, Six Day War and Arab-Israeli war in 1973. This essay will critically examine Foud Ajami’s case for a raison d’état in the Middle East and his claim that there were six broad trends leading to the alteration of the balance of power away from Pan-Arabism and towards the state. It will be argued that Pan-Arabism was a romantic ideology that Arab states found convenient to support, all in advancement of their nationalistic state agendas. It was never a realistic endeavor that was physically undertaken by the Arab states and was thus never alive in a tangible sense. However, Pan-Arabism as an ideology had a place in the Middle East and was thus alive in an ideological sense.
The European monarchs during that time period lacked any kind of selflessness. They want to keep themselves safe and protected. They will act deceitful and will always be eager to avoid danger (Machiavelli). They will be a person’s best friend when they need to, but when they are put in danger, they forget everything about the friendship. The selfish way of ruling makes it a tyranny. People's opinions about how the government should run are uncared for which gives the monarchs a chance to rule in a cruel way, in a tyranny. The monarchs were doing what they felt was right for their kingdom, but they should not have the right to decide what the members of the government do
The idea that a monarchy is the ideal form of government is a fallacy. Al-Farabi and Aquinas’ ideas about government are wrong, and are filled with irreparable holes. In modern times, the idea of a monarchy has become counter-intuitive and counter-productive. A democratic republic paired with an educated and empowered middle-class is the solution to the quandary of how to create the perfect government. While the ideas of the Arabic philosophers are interesting, there ideas on the perfection of monocratic rule are outdated by both new technology and new ideas
As these women are merely to keep a treaty in place, it is not her role to make political decisions or to become an integral part of society. The royal wife is meant to be a stationary figure by the sultan’s side. If the royal wife were to become more a visible and integrated aspect politics and society, there is fear that it will be more difficult to cut ties with her and ultimately her home nation, as the royal court is in some way dependent on her presence. A more politically active royal wife could also undermine the sultan’s own rule, and make the sultan appear weaker. Therefore, it is important for the sultan to maintain the royal wives’ role as a decorative figure in order to prevent these issues. Furthermore, the loveless nature of the marriage makes it even harder for the royal wives to attain power. As very rarely a political wife is a sultan’s favorite, he is less likely to give her power and responsibilities. Hence, the royal wives’ role as a political asset in marriage, as well as the nature of this marriage poses as a limitation to their ability to have a more active role in politics and
First, there are major points that give the monarchy a better form of government. A major point is impartiality, Presidents and Prime Ministers come to power after expensive and difficult elections, which take a lot of time. These people make commitments to their voters to cr...
The Judiciary authority of Saudi Arabia has the role to apply the laws. Besides that, Saudi Arabia also has an administrative judicial body, which is known as the Board of Grievances. This body is an independent administrative judicial committee that stands alongside with the Courts System and is affiliated directly with the King. The executive authority of the Saudi Kingdom consists of the King, the Council of Ministers, ministry subsidiaries, independent and quasi-independent agencies. The King of Saudi Arabia has ultimate authority over this executive branch and he monitors the implementation of Islamic Law (Shariah) over the Kingdom. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not use the terminology of legislation in its authority as the all the laws of Saudi Arabia came from the Islamic Shariah, which consist of the Qur 'an and the Sunnah. However, the basic Saudi legal system uses the term of Regulatory authority to refer to the regulation and statutory laws. Thus, the regulatory authority is shared between the King of Saudi Arabia, the Council of Ministers, and the Consultative Council. In addition, Saudi Arabia has a local government, which is consist of fourteen provinces, and each province has it each governed that called Amir (governor) who is appointed by the king of Saudi
Saudi Arabia, the leader of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Companies), maintains a powerful position in negotiations with the U.S. and other countries. Its vast supply of oil directly effects per barrel pricing and is a unique bargaining tool in international politics. But Saudi Arabia is no ordinary country in today's world. Its borders are governed by a royal family of nearly 30,000 individuals, all of which share most of the wealth and almost all of the power. Its people, with foreign exceptions, are wholly Islamic and many practice the faith with a frightening sense of devotion. And despite the immense revenue generated by its oil reserves, part of its population still lives in absolute poverty. Although recently it has seen immense change, it is still a country fair behind the progressive world.
...Arabia is a petrostate. Oil dominates the national economy, international exports, and the nation’s politics. It has greatly shaped what the kingdom is today. Having started out as somewhat of a tourist economy, the kingdom has become a world, monetary power. From their massive amounts of oil and extremely cheap production, the country has been able to gain large amounts of affluence and political power. With its large abundance of oil, the country has been able to profit immensely on sales and spur diplomatic outcomes to their benefit due to the great need of the resource. Without the discovery oil, Saudi Arabia would be of little importance in the modern world, having the Grand Mosque be the extent of its importance. But because of its discovery of oil, Saudi Arabia became of international importance, coming to be one of the greatest assets to world superpowers.
world because of this there a very wealthy country. (Saudi Arabia is also the largest
During the 16th and 17th centuries, several European countries experimented with new types of government, one of the most popular ones being constitutional monarchy. Constitutional monarchy is a system of government in which a monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government (ILASS 2, Unit 3, Constitutional Monarchy). The monarch is known as the king or queen, and their job is to maintain the order of their kingdom, making sure all its people see justice. The monarch must remain politically neutral so that he or she does not unjustly cater to only one party’s needs but to every party’s needs. Although the monarch has a lot of power, the ability to make and pass legislation resides with an elected parliament to give the government a check and balance so the country is at no one person’s disposal. Most were content with this type of government but it did not satisfy everyone, some did not feel it was justified morall...