Lumbering State, Restless Society: Egypt in the Modern Era (Columbia Studies in Middle East Politics)

Lumbering State, Restless Society offers a comprehensive and compelling understanding of modern Egypt. Nathan J. Brown, Shimaa Hatab, and Amr Adly guide readers through crucial developments in Egyptian politics, society, and economics from the middle of the twentieth century through the present. Integrating diverse perspectives and areas of expertise, including the tools of comparative politics, the book provides an accessible and clear introduction to the Egypt of today alongside an innovative and rigorous analysis of the country’s history and governance. Brown, Hatab, and Adly highlight ways in which Egypt resembles other societies around the world, drawing from and contributing to broader debates in political science. They trace the emergence of a powerful and intrusive state alongside a society that is increasingly politicized, and they emphasize how the rulers and regimes who have built and steered the state apparatus have also had to retreat and recalibrate. The authors also examine why authoritarianism, corporatism, and socialism have decayed without resulting in a liberal democratic order, and they show why Egyptian politics should not be understood in terms of a single dominant force but rather an interplay among many actors. At once current, insightful, and engaging, Lumbering State, Restless Society delivers a powerful and distinctive account of modern Egypt in the modern world. "In this book, three scholars of Egypt--one American, two Egyptian--explore the universality of modern Egyptian society and politics. The authors guide readers through Egyptian politics from the 1950s to the present in a manner that is clear, fair to the distinctive features of Egypt, but also alert to ways in which Egypt resembles other societies. In the process, they employ many of the insights used by political scientists to understand the sorts of questions they ask about state formation, regime type, social movements, and political economy: how strong states emerge; how different regime types arise and evolve; when and how various kinds of social organizations emerge and press political agendas; and how wealth and power interact. These comparative and conceptual tools allows them to present a consistent answer to these questions when it comes to Egypt, as well. Egypt's modern state has indeed built strong institutions; it has also been led by regimes that tried to closely control and lead those institutions with some sustained but no permanent success. The book will thus tell the story of the emergence of that state and of various attempts by regimes to steer and manage it"-- Provided by publisher __Lumbering State, Restless Society__Brown, Hatab, and Adly highlight ways in which Egypt resembles other societies around the world, drawing from and contributing to broader debates in political science. They trace the emergence of a powerful and intrusive state alongside a society that is increasingly politicized, and they emphasize how the rulers and regimes who have built and steered the state apparatus have also had to retreat and recalibrate. The authors also examine why authoritarianism, corporatism, and socialism have decayed without resulting in a liberal democratic order, and they show why Egyptian politics should not be understood in terms of a single dominant force but rather an interplay among many actors. At once current, insightful, and engaging, delivers a powerful and distinctive account of modern Egypt in the modern world. Dedication 6 Contents 8 Preface 10 1. Multivocal yet Authoritarian Egypt 16 Part I. The Egyptian State 36 2. Governing Egypt: The Construction of the Modern Egyptian State 40 3. Between State and Regime: The Evolution of Egyptian Authoritarianism 59 Part II. Egyptian Society 78 4. The Rise and Decay of Social Control—and the Perpetuation of Authoritarianism 80 5. Civil Society Organizations: Limited Political Agenda and Mounting Resistance 107 6. Islam and Religion in Egyptian State, Society, and Economy 126 Part III. The Egyptian Economy 160 7. Market Making without Development 162 8. The Military’s Civilian Economy 194 9. The Uprising of 2011 and the New Regime 219 Notes 250 A Selective Guide to Scholarly Writing on Egypt 264 Bibliography 274 Index 284