When Does Islamic Politics Align with Democracy? the Role of Islamic Entry Modes in Muslim-majority States

The variation in political regimes among Muslim-majority countries, some embracing democracy while others remain authoritarian, has been the focus of academic research for a long time. We argue that the alignment between democracy and Islamic political views can be traced to the historical pathways through which Islam became politically embedded within a state. Specifically, states where Islamic political views entered through diplomatic means, such as trade, tend to align more closely with democratic principles. In contrast, states where Islamic views entered through conquest and war often show a misalignment with democratic principles. We test this argument across 49 Muslim-majority states and find that states with a positive entry of Islamic views are more likely to uphold democratic principles. This relationship is driven by the states’ ability to foster freedom, which encourages positive political competition among elites, which is an essential component for maintaining a healthy democracy. Our findings suggest that the non-democratic nature of some Muslim-majority states can be better understood by examining the processes through which Islamic views entered these states.