Past political science work on Kuwait has focused less on what Kuwait’s parliament does and more on how it is situated within other organs of state power. Few studies, barring Mary Tétreault’s Stories of Democracy (Columbia University Press, 2000), have sought to understand Kuwaiti citizens’ deeply held political views and what motivates their political activity and voting patterns. We know broadly what Kuwaitis do in parliament, in terms of policies they support, but less about what Kuwaitis seek to achieve through democratic action or around parliament, and so seek to link the two through this study of ideological trends. We therefore propose examining the political ideologies that have dominated in Kuwait as a means of understanding its political system and how exactly policymaking takes place. As such, this paper will situate the dynamics of Kuwaiti politics within broader political science debates about whether democratic institutions in “hybrid regimes” are meaningful arenas for popular contestation or only serve to enhance authoritarian rule. Given the varying portrayals of Kuwait as robust authoritarianism (Yom, 2016), “upgraded” authoritarianism (Gandhi, 2010), or a noteworthy site of democratic participation (Tétreault), this paper will examine the roles of ideologies in mobilizing social movements and political blocs, as well as effecting policy changes, rather than focusing solely on the institutions of political power themselves or on the ability of the ruling family to co-opt independent movements with oil rents. To that end, the paper will also assess the rise and fall of ideological strands in the country as a means of understanding the constraints and opportunities they present to Kuwaiti social movements.