Kuwait
Political system

Kuwait is an emirate, which is sometimes described as " anocratic ". The Polity data series and Economist Democracy Index both categorize Kuwait as an autocracy (dictatorship). Freedom House previously rated the country as "partly free" in the Freedom in the World survey. The Emir is the head of state, he belongs to the Al Sabah ruling family. The political system consists of an appointed government and judiciary. The Constitution of Kuwait was promulgated in 1962.

Executive power is exercised by the government. The Emir appoints the prime minister, who in turn chooses the cabinet of ministers comprising the government. In recent decades, numerous policies of the Kuwaiti government have been characterized as " demographic engineering ", especially in relation to Kuwait's stateless Bedoon crisis and the history of naturalization in Kuwait.

The Emir appoints the judges. The Constitutional Court is charged with ruling on the conformity of laws and decrees with the constitution. Kuwait has an active public sphere and civil society with political and social organizations. Professional groups like the Chamber of Commerce, which represents the interests of Kuwaiti businesses and industries, maintain their autonomy from the government.

Legislative power is exercised by the Emir. It was formerly exercised by the National Assembly. As per article 107 of the Kuwait constitution, the Emir has the power to dissolve the assembly and elections for a new assembly should be held within two months. The Emir has suspended various articles of the constitution thrice: 29 August 1976 under Sheikh Sabah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, 3 July 1986 under Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, and 10 May 2024 under Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Kuwait's political instability has significantly hampered the country's economic development and infrastructure. Kuwait is regularly characterized as being a " rentier state " in which the ruling family uses oil revenues to buy the political acquiescence of the citizenry; more than 70% of government spending consists of public sector salaries and subsidies. Kuwait has the highest public sector wage bill in the GCC region as public sector wages account for 12.4% of GDP.

Kuwaiti women are considered among the most emancipated women in the Middle East. In 2014 and 2015, Kuwait was ranked first among Arab countries in the Global Gender Gap Report. In 2013, 53% of Kuwaiti women participated in the labor force, where they outnumber working Kuwaiti men, giving Kuwait the highest female citizen participation in the workforce of any GCC country. According to the Social Progress Index, Kuwait ranks first in social progress in the Arab world and Muslim world and second highest in the Middle East after Israel. However, women's political participation in Kuwait has been limited. Despite multiple prior attempts at granting Kuwaiti women suffrage, they were not permanently enfranchised until 2005.

Kuwait ranks among the world's top countries by life expectancy, women's workforce participation, global food security, and school order and safety.
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