Young Authority: Quantitative and Qualitative Insights into Youth, Youth Culture, and State Power in Contemporary Morocco

This article presents the results of a quantitative survey among 622 young Moroccans in 2003/04 on concepts of legitimacy under Mohammed VI. The article regards itself as a contribution to the debate about authoritarianism in the Middle East and the production of social consent in Muslim states. It explores changing state–society relations with quantitative as well as qualitative means. The findings show that traditional sources of legitimacy are declining whereas modern rationales and a ‘youthful sprit’ rise as reasons for accepting the young king's authority. The habitus of youth needs to be regarded as a major contributing element to the stability of the Moroccan monarchy today. The results show clearly that processes of political modernisation and democratisation are more crucial to women than men.