Economic Reform, Social Welfare, and Instability: Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, 1983–2004

This article fills an important gap in the literature by exploring the trends in social welfare in four MENA countries that have undertaken extensive economic liberalization programs under the auspices of the IMF and the World Bank — namely, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco. Studying the experiences of these countries provides an opportunity to enhance the understanding of the link between economic reforms, the level of social welfare provision, and political stability.