It seems to be a commonly held belief by many that Islamic values are incompatible with the ideals of democracy, and that Islam's tight grasp on the Arab Middle East is the underpinning of authoritarian rule in the region. However, this paper takes the view that the reasons for a lack of democracy in the region go much deeper and seeks to understand the root issue. Many scholars and experts construe Islam as not only compatible with democracy but also as demanding governance through many of the same ideals. Further, cultural and historical elements build a framework to better understand the context of modern day Arab Middle East, but do not fully explain the \"democracy deficit\" in the Arab Middle East. | Democracy Deficit In The Arab Middle East by Bruce M Bunce, Paperback | Indigo Chapters