The Violent Overthrow of Extractive Institutions

     The extractive political institutions most prevalent in the Middle East have faced significant opposition since the inciting of the "Arab Spring" by a Tunisian fruit vendor's public self-immolation.
     Acemoglu and Robinson's idea of persistence in these dictatorial and "presidential" regimes, namely in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, has come to a critical juncture as the largely violent overturning of these regimes has and continues to occur today.


This widespread upheaval is a necessary step in the adoption of inclusive political institutions, but Ahmed Salah, a former stock analyst turned revolutionary from Cairo, reminds us: "We started the revolution, but we're still completing it."