Amaney A. Jamal examines reasons for the lack of democratic governments in the Middle East in comparison to other regions throughout the world in the post-Cold War era in Of Empires and Citizens. Analyzing a variety of data—polls, interviews, scholarly research, and qualitative and quantitative data—Jamal associates the lack of democratic governments in the Middle East with strong anti-Americanism throughout the region. Jamal's analysis focuses on Kuwait and Jordan as examples of her premise of pro-American democracy or no democracy. She proposes that although strong anti-American attitudes exist, Jordanian sentiment supports the idea of a democratic government; the rise of an anti-American democracy would be detrimental to their relationship with the United States upon which Jordan relies for security and wellbeing. Jordan's reliance on the United States renders democracy elusive with the understanding that strong anti-American movements could achieve power through democratic means and threaten the country's stability. In contrast, Kuwait lacks strong anti-American movements and harbors pro-American political parties. As a result, the Kuwaiti government has become more democratic over the years as citizens demand more reforms without fear of an anti-American regime coming to power and damaging necessary relations with the U.S.