Egypt Under Sadat: Elites, Power Structure, and Political Change in a Post-Populist State

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Abstract

In this paper I examine the transformations in the Egyptian state—specifically in the political establishment—as Egypt moves into a new stage of development characterized by economic liberalization and a westward political realignment. I examine persistence and change in the structure and distribution of power in the establishment, in elite ideology, recruitment practices and social composition, and in the patterns and cleavages of intra-elite politics. Through this examination I try to assess the relative strength and effect of forces pulling the political system toward political liberalization on the one hand, and toward conservative authoritarianism on the other. I conclude that the current regime remains an authoritarian one, but that it has taken on an increasingly conservative face and is characterized by a greater, if uninstitutionalized, pluralism limited to elite levels. It is implicit in the analysis that the open door policy cannot be fully explained without reference to these sociopolitical transformations.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)442-464
Number of pages22
JournalSocial Problems
Volume28
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 1981

Keywords

  • Egypt
  • elites
  • post-populism
  • Sadat

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