Courting and Containing the Arab Street: Arab Public Opinion, the Middle East and U.S. Public Diplomacy

Abstract

This paper looks at the nature and dynamics of the so-called Arab street. It examines the forces shaping the Arab public opinion. Arguing that Arab public opinion is a real though subtle force to contend with, this paper takes issue with three prevailing understandings of the political relevance of Arab public opinion: the tendency to celebrate it as omnipotent and liberating; the tendency to view it as submissive and therefore largely ineffective; and the tendency to dismiss it as mythical. A discussion of the historical dimension and socio-political underpinning of these three views will help eschew a reductive categorization of Arab public opinion, highlight its diversity, point out its dynamics, and explore its intricacies. The paper concludes with a discussion of new forces and noteworthy variables which are likely to influence and shape Arab public opinion in the future