WE THE CONSTITUENTS: CONSTITUTIONS AND CHANNELING OF DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

This dissertation project studies whether and how citizen involvement in decision-making processes affects transition toward democracy. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach consisting of cross-national statistical analysis, content analysis, public opinion survey, and comparative case studies of Morocco, Egypt, and Tunisia, this study focuses on citizen participation in constitution-making process and its impact on three distinct outcomes. First, it evaluates whether citizen participation improves political stability by increasing the stability and durability of constitutions. Second, it explores whether this participation has any democratizing effect by showing whether and to what degree it improves the democratic content of constitutions. And finally, this study shows whether and to what extent participation creates support for democracy by creating a constituency of citizens who are willing to support and enforce the terms of the constitution.