In this episode, we welcome Steve Monroe to discuss his newest book, Mirages of Reform: The Politics of Elite Protectionism in the Arab World (Cornell University Press, 2025). Together, Steve and Ellen examine how elites across the Arab world maintain economic privileges despite apparent trade liberalization.
Steve sheds light on how conventional measures of economic reform often miss the real story. While many Arab nations adopted neoliberal policies on paper, he demonstrates how \"neo-patrimonial protectionism\" allowed well-connected elites to preserve their advantages through informal mechanisms, like preferential procurement and insider access.
Through detailed case studies and quantitative evidence, Steve illuminates the critical gap between formal policy changes and practical implementation, challenging our understanding of economic reform and highlighting how social connections fundamentally shape who benefits from liberalization efforts in the region.
Steve argues that geopolitics and social connections between state and capital underpin the Arab world's uneven trade policies. Drawing on interviews, firm- and industry-level data, and evidence from Jordan to Morocco, Mirages of Reform reveals how international and domestic factors interact to shape the Arab world's rugged trade policy terrain. Insightful and well researched, this book imparts important lessons and warnings about the repercussions of economic reform in the region.
Full podcast transcript can be found: https://bit.ly/GLD0167
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