Mid Sweden University

An examination of Samuel Huntington's study, _Third Wave Democratization_ (1991), indicates as to why countries such as Tunisia have succeeded in their goal to democratize, while countries such as Egypt, Yemen, and Libya have not. An economic crisis which left an unbearable amount of unemployment and corruption had sparked protests; starting with a 26-year-old fruit salesman who lit himself on fire, leading to a resistance movement known as the _Arab Spring_. The protests were initially successful, removing corrupt authoritarian regimes in all four countries, though that was only the first step. The civilians knew they had to fight for a long-term solution, democratization. While Tunisia had seen success in its transition to democratize, Egypt was not as fortunate. Military resistance loosened civilian grip in Egypt's push to democratize. Both Yemen and Libya have failed in democratization as well, both with military intervention resulting in a civil war. Huntington's criteria for the study included regime legitimacy, economic modernization, and religious change. Tunisia did not face religious, economic, and military resistance in the same way Egypt did, leading to its modern-day success as a democratic state.