Democracy's Fourth Wave?: Digital Media and the Arab Spring

by Philip N. Howard, Muzammil M. Hussain

Did digital media really "cause" the Arab Spring, or is it an important factor of the story behind what might become democracy's fourth wave? An unlikely network of citizens used digital media to start a cascade of social protest that ultimately toppled four of the world's most entrenched dictators. Howard and Hussain find that the complex causal recipe includes several economic, political and cultural factors, but that digital media is consistently one of the most important sufficient and necessary conditions for explaining both the fragility of regimes and the success of social movements. This book looks at not only the unexpected evolution of events during the Arab Spring, but the deeper history of creative digital activism throughout the region.

Genres: Nonfiction, Political Science, History, Sociology

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Philip N. Howard is a professor and author of seven books, including Democracy’s Fourth Wave? and The Digital Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy. He is a frequent commentator on the impact of technology on political life, contributing to Slate.com, TheAtlantic.com and other media outlets.

Reviews

[Jehnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that asks as many questions as it answers. Howard and Hussain do an admirable job compiling a lot of current information to show the distinct role that social media has played in organizing and advocating for civil society in non-democratic regimes.