Egypt Case Study

Of the three case studies presented thus far, Egypt appears to pose the most unique challenges to becoming a legitimate democracy. The purpose of this paper is to objectively analyze Egypt’s political climate with a special emphasis placed on the relationship between the Muslim Brotherhood and the secular regimes. Following the evaluation I will hypothesize on the prospects of Egypt developing a truly democratic political system.

Before we address the political actors individually, prudence dictates we adumbrate some of the most pivotal milestones in Egypt’s social, political, and economic history. The first significant milestone in twentieth century Egyptian history was the Revolution of 1919. This conflict with the United Kingdom, who had governed the land as a protectorate, culminated with a mutually agreed upon decree in which Egypt would be granted limited sovereignty. This agreement took effect in 1923, thus establishing Egypt as a constitutional monarchy with King Fuad as the head executive (Botman 29).

This constitution was one of the biggest steps towards democracy at that point as its text had multiple clauses that aimed to enhance the overall social welfare of the state. One such example is Article 3, which stipulates “Egyptians shall be equal before the law in enjoying civil and political rights.” The text further promotes the rights of a free press (Article 15), religious freedom (Article 13), and guarantees public schooling for children. Additionally, the Constitution of 1923 established a bicameral parliament. This measure provided the people direct access to the political system. The outcome of the first elections revealed the people’s desire to move away from the monarchy as the nationalist liberal Wafd party vi...

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...cur is the economic climate of Egypt. As of 2012 the reported gross domestic product per capita was approximately six thousand American dollars. Political scientists have produced numerous studies that show a nation whose per capita GDP is below $8000 will have a difficult time sustaining democracy. This is because democracy requires a strong middle class to be effective (Roskin 8).

To conclude, Egypt is a dynamic country with a rich, yet tumultuous history. There are multiple entities competing for political power and they are not afraid confrontation to achieve their objectives. Unfortunately things appear to be stagnant at the moment, as every time the people become discontented they overhaul the entire framework. It is possible for Egypt to turn this trend around and become a global inspiration; yet the demands that must be satisfied first seem too overwhelming.