For the 2301 assignment on the potential for democracy in the Middle East, you may want to read through the a few items related to democratization (the action of making something democratic). These should cue you in on the factors commonly considered indicators of which countries are and are not likely to successfully become democratic - which is the point of the exercise.
- Wikipedia: Democratization.
- An Essay - RJ Rummel: Democratization.
- Theories of Democratization.
- Starting in Egypt: The Fourth Wave of Democratization?
I'd also suggest looking at some of these sites. They contain data that should help you determine whether a specific country you are looking at - or the region in general - is likely to turn democratic.
- The CIA World Factbook.
- Freedom House.
- Wikipedia: List of freedom indices.
