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This insightful book asks why capitalists and workers have been reluctant to press for democratization in late-developing countries, given that many of the classic works in political economy characterize one or both of these social forces as having been the champions of democracy in the West. Eva Bellin's answer is that, while both capital and labor had a material interest in challenging dictatorship in early-industrializing countries, in late-developing states often it is decidedly not in these classes' interest to "rock the authoritarian boat." State policies typically have favored the interests of private entrepreneurial classes, and the private sector tends to depend on state assistance (e.g., market protection and technical help) to survive in a globalizing world. Capitalists do not challenge authoritarian states, therefore, because they are relatively well treated and because falling out of the state's good graces could spell material disaster. They also worry that the existence of radical movements, fueled by the widespread poverty that often characterizes late-developing countries, might mean that democracy would destabilize economies and threaten capitalists' interests. While capital's lot is considerably better than that of organized labor, many states have granted unions important policy concessions in return for their political support. As a result, union members are far better off than workers in the informal and agricultural sectors, and they, too, back the authoritarian state. Both groups are reluctant to see democratization render states obliged to respond to a wider array of societal interests, a development that would undermine their own comparatively privileged access to decision makers.
Bellin's book has two audiences. The author derives her overarching theoretical argument from the Tunisian experience. Her contribution to the field of Middle East studies is...