Topic: The Arab SpringStudy Guide

Vocabulary ReviewFill in the blanks below with the best choice from the word bank. Feel free to use your topic guide.

1. When they discovered that he had lied, he lost his _____________ with them because they could no longer trust him.

2. Many dictators use ____________ as a way of controlling their people by force.

3. There are many small protests, but they never pick up enough ____________ to grow into revolutions.

4. The United Nations will __________ the actions of anyone who violates international law.

5. When she explained to us why she disagreed with the decision, we understood the reasons for her ________.

6. He was obviously a supporter of ____________ because of his strong religious and conservative political beliefs.

7. The government gives farmers extra money in order to ____________ their business.

8. The country is considered very __________ because it has so many different groups of people living there.

9. The amendments to the constitution will __________ all of the old systems and make them better.

10. This report is about events that ___________ in the past.

Traditionalism Secularism Devoid Reform Regime Momentum Authoritarian Subsidize Industrialize Legitimacy Deposed Transpired Suppression Stability Deluding Resignation Neutral Dissent No-FlyZonePropaganda

Speculation Counter-Revolution Autocracy Accountability Credibility Dogma Islamize Multi-Ethnic

Multilateral Embargo Condemn Proxy-War Instability

11. Sometimes the United Nations takes a side in a conflict, and sometimes it remains __________.

12. When I saw the story on the government news channel about how much good the head of the country had done, I knew that it was really just ___________ because he had not actually done anything.

13. Because of the problems they have had with Communist countries in the past, there is a(n) ___________ on Cuban goods in the United States.

14. We do not know for sure, but there is a lot of ____________ about what the outcome of the Egyptian revolution will be.

15. After one revolution has happened, there is always a risk of a ______________ against the new government occurring soon after.

16. My uncle believes it is very important to follow religious rules. That is why he is always explaining the _________ of his religion to us.

17. With the UN’s backing, NATO is enforcing a _____________ in the skies of Libya.

18. President Ben Ali of Tunisia gave in to the demands of the protesters, making him the first dictator to be ___________ by his people in the Arab Spring.

19. When two large powers do not want to fight each other directly, they will often create a ___________ between smaller countries in order to pursue their interests.

20. Hosni Mubarak delivered his ____________ speech after 18 days of protests in Tahrir Square, officially stepping down as President.

21. The American separation of church and state is an example of ______________ because it tries to keep religion and politics separate.

22. Kofi learned an important lesson about _____________ when he made a mistake and had to take responsibility for it.

23. Dictators may provide a country with ____________ because they are able to keep everyone under control, but they often do so at the expense of human rights.

24. All United Nations initiatives are ____________. They require the approval and help of many different nations.

25. Until the “Arab Spring,” the Middle East and North Africa were ruled almost entirely by dictators. The whole region was __________ of democracy.

26. The __________ was overthrown by the people after two weeks of protests.

27. Even though the ruler had done good things, the people wanted to have a say in the government which they did not have because they live in a(n) ____________.

28. The Muslim Brotherhood leader talked to his students about how they could ____________ parts of their everyday lives so that they would be more in accordance with the tenants of Islam.

29. The ________________ leader made sure that only he could make any important decisions about the country.

30. Developing nations want to ____________ so that they can build factories and produce goods that people want to buy.

31. No one ever questioned the leader’s _____________ to rule until he started to support corrupt policies. Then no one believed he was right for the job.

32. Everyone was afraid about the ____________ of the new government because it was weak and did not have a strong foothold in the country.

33. Leaders like Muammar Qaddafi and Bashar al-Assad are _____________ themselves by thinking that they will be able to continue living like kings now that their people are campaigning for change.

Short Answer / Multiple ChoiceAnswer the following questions either in 1-3 sentences or by choosing the best answer. The answers to the following questions can be found in the topic guide.

Section I: Statement of the Issue

1. True or False: Circle one.

Democracy was common throughout the Middle East until 2010.

2. True or False:

The Middle East is made up of hundreds of different ethnic and religious groups.

Section II: History of the Issue

1. Who was Mohamed Bouazizi and why did he do what he did?

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2. Middle Eastern and North African governments have responded in the following way to the Arab Spring:

a. Violently suppressing demonstrators

b. Having leaders step down from power

c. Reforming government policies

d. All of the above

3. What are Jack Goldstone’s four factors necessary for a successful revolution?

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4. Briefly describe the way in which Middle Eastern dictators have structured their governments in order to keep themselves in power.

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5. Most national economies in the Middle East have grown in recent years. Why, then, have the people of those nations generally become poorer?

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6. True or False:

During the Nile Revolution in Egypt, the national military did not crack down on protestors, but instead chose not to take sides.

Section III: Discussion of the Issue

1. True or False:

Before the Arab Spring, government news sources were always entirely honest with their people.

2. Which of the following best describes the political atmosphere of the Middle East and North Africa before the Arab Spring?

a. There were no political parties, but everyone was allowed to speak his or her mind.

b. Many political parties were outlawed, especially those that disagreed with the government.

c. Ideological groups were stepping up to fill the roles that political parties normally would, but could not because they were not organized.

d. Countries usually had a two party system, much like the United States.

3. Which of the following best describes the political atmosphere today of places where revolutions have been successful?

a. There are no political parties and no one is allowed to criticize the people in charge.

b. Many political parties are outlawed, especially those that disagree with the government.

c. Ideological groups are stepping up to fill the role that political parties normally would, but cannot because they are not yet organized.

d. Countries have a two party system, much like the United States.

4. Does the Arab Spring mean that the United States, European Union, and other countries are going to have to deal with Middle Eastern countries differently? Why/why not?

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5. How will the Arab Spring affect Arab-Israeli relations?

a. They will go to war.

b. There will be lasting peace between them.

c. There is no way to know for sure yet.

6. True or False:

The revolutions of the Arab Spring are guaranteed to produce democratic governments.

7. What are some of the important domestic issues that new leaders must address?

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8. How has the relationship between the Middle East and the West changed?

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9. True or False:

Before the Arab Spring, the people of Yemen all supported President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

10. What are some of the problems that Yemen might face after President Saleh is deposed?

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11. For what reasons was the Muslim Brotherhood founded, and how did it meet these goals?

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12. True or False:

The Muslim Brotherhood is purely a terrorist organization.

Section IV: Past International Actions

1. What are some of the recommendations made to Middle Eastern and North African governments by Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. List some of the ways in which the international community, particularly the USA and the EU, has been involved in the Arab Spring.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. True or False:

Iran and Saudi Arabia have conflicting policies in Bahrain that could lead to larger international problems.