By DAILY PRESS STAFF
SANTA MONICA Democratic political reforms can decrease support for political violence, but backtracking on democratization can increase the risk of terrorism, according to a report released today by a Santa Monica-based research group.
The RAND Corp. recently reviewed the liberalization process in six Arab states, and found that even limited political reform can help to stabilize a state.
“American policymakers obviously need to be concerned about maintaining allies in the region, but concern over stability does not have to come at the expense of political reforms,” said report author Dalia Dassa Kaye.
“In fact, when Arab states backtrack on reform or institute repressive measures, stability also suffers,” Kaye said.
The report warned that political reforms had little effect on promoting tolerance or inclusion, instead aggravating existing societal differences as the group in control worked to consolidate its power.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 25, 2008. Read the original PDF.