Government policies in the economic field as a political issue in modern political systems and their impact on the basic rights of citizens

Abstract

Economic and social rights, such as the right to work, social security, health, and education, are the essence of human dignity and a measure of the state's commitment to its social contract with its citizens. Government economic policies are the most effective tool for influencing these rights, either by strengthening or undermining them. This study comparatively analyzes how the economic models and policies adopted in Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon have influenced the complex and intertwined relationship between economic policies, the political system, and citizens' rights. Every economic decision is essentially political, and its outcomes determine the extent to which citizens' fundamental rights are respected and protected. One of the most prominent findings of this topic is that the "political order" is the "sectarian quota system," which has transformed the state from an entity intended to serve citizens into a mere "spoil" to be shared among an elite of political parties. In this model, economic policy no longer exists in the true sense—that is, as a plan to achieve development goals. Rather, it has been replaced by "rent accounting," an annual process of dividing oil revenues among the ruling elite.