Issues that foment political unrest

Sorry for the lack of paragraphs but there seems to be some error even though I tried to put the paragraphs (I coloured it though). The recent protests in Tunisia and Egypt have caught the attention of the world. What is the reason for this to reach such a dramatic stage? What factors spur citizens into action against the government? We will now look at the common issues that foment political unrest. Below are some of the conditions that fuel the growing feeling of unhappiness among the citizens. Authoritarianism The ousted presidents (Mr Zine El Abidine Ben Ali - Tunisia, Mr Hosni Mubarak - Egypt) were autocratic rulers that suppressed political opposition. They were also suspected of rigging elections that were help during their decades in office. Their authoritarianism has displeased the citizens of their country. Corruption The leaders ruling both Tunisia and Egypt have been suspected of corruption. The recent WikiLeaks revelation of nepotism in the Tunisian government have sparked discontent in the citizens. In Egypt, investigations will be launched to uncover the Mubarak's ill-gotten wealth. Poverty While the Tunisian goverment has been doing well in its economy, the distribution of income is not equal. The top 20 percent of people earn almost half the country's income, while the others remain poor. The low living standards in Egypt have been declining consistently. Egyptians survive on less that S$2.55 a day. We shall now look at the Xinhai Revolution that is similar to these cases. The Xinhai Revolution After thousands of years of emperors ruling China, this uprising led to the formation of a government of elected officials. The people had become unhappy with the corruption of the Qing government and the poor living conditions they lived in. The Manchus who headed the Qing dynasty tended to favour their own people, instead of the majority, the Han Chinese. The revolutionaries forced the abdication of Emperor Puyi, who announced the establishment of the Republic of China in Nanjing. Authoritarianism: Only sons of emperors allowed on the throne (instead of elected officials) Corruption: Already mentioned in text Poverty: Poor living conditions, favouring the Manchu people