Final Essay

The level of democracy can be measured in any given state by observing several democratic factors present in that state. In order to be considered democratic, the state must portray some of the qualities of democracy. A quality required is associational autonomy which measures the amount of freedom and protection the general public receives by the government. This paper will measure the level of democracy in terms of its associational autonomy portrayed in the North African state of Tunisia, a state building up to a democratic political system. In this essay, I will argue that the quality of associational autonomy in Tunisia meets the requirement of democracy by twenty percent. To quantify, I will reflect on the methods the Tunisian government

More than 106 political parties, according to the Human Rights Watch, that were previously illegal and repressed were allowed to operate and voice the concerns and desires of citizens. The fall of Ben Ali had the greatest impact on the Islamist party of al-Nahda which soon led the politics in Tunisia after obtaining 89 of 217 seats of the Constituent Assembly in the 2011 elections. They were also able to lead the government of Tunisia through their member, Hamadi Jebali, who became prime minister on December of 2011. Furthermore, as the boundaries in terms of political associations lessened, minorities of Tunisia, mainly women, began to hold political positions. The upheaval of the government in 2011 led to the passing of a gender parity law to promote equal representation of male and female candidates in the elections. The Progressive Democratic Party was well known for having a female leader. Maya Jribi became the first woman in Tunisia to lead a political party. Through these radical changes in the politics of Tunisia over the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, it is fair to interpret that citizen contribution in the state has increased in terms of creation of political parties. The limits in creating parties have alleviated, allowing a variety of citizens in Tunisia including minorities, to participate actively in their country’s affairs. This in turn, has

The Tunisian government has taken great steps through the years to promote a degree of self-governance for its citizens. After the state received sovereignty from France in 1956, The Personal Status Code provided the minorities of Tunisia, mainly the women, various rights such as the right to an occupation. When women noticed they were being discriminated against and that their rights were too vague, they took measures to express their opinions to the government. The government then responded over the past few years by drafting a new Constitution that will address the concerns of women and recognize them more abundantly. Although the Constitution has not yet been released, it is highly anticipated by the citizens of the