Social Change and Political Transition in Morocco

The process of social and political change occuring in Morocco is analysed with special attention given to the structure of civil society. The authors place the case of Morocco within the context of the greater problematic arising from the double transition: a political transition towards a western-style democracy and an economic transition towards a market economy model. Within this framework, the authors focus their analysis on the problem of governability that emerges during such a process of double transition. On the one hand, they analyse the nature of the state in Morocco, which combines both unity around the monarchy and political pluralism. On the other hand, they analyse the recent dynamic of political liberalization as a strategy for the elite to regain part of the legitimacy lost during a decade of profound economic crisis.