ISSN 1027-0353
African Journal of Political Science ISSN 3461-2165 Vol. 6 (11), pp. 001-011, November, 2012. © International Scholars Journals
Review
State versus society in Egypt: Consolidating democracy or upgrading autocracy
Hamdy A. Hassan
Professor of Political Science, Institute for Islamic World Studies, Zayed University, P. O. Box 19282, Dubai,
United Arab Emirates. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: +971 504212475, +9714 4021127. Fax: +9714 4021018.
Accepted 9 November, 2011
Abstract
It is to be noted that the ideological and theoretical debate concerning issues of social evolution and development in Egypt was generally state centered, and relied heavily on theoretical concepts such as bureaucratic authoritarianism, Oriental despotism and the Asiatic mode of production. For some considerable time the state seemed formidable enough to have subdued society through its authoritarian mechanisms such as the military, the security institution and the centralized economy. This study seeks to achieve two main objectives: First, to discuss and explain the dynamics of Egyptian mode of authoritarianism during the presidencies of Gamal Abdul Nasser (1952-1970), Anwar Sadat (1970-1981) and Hosni Mubarak (1981-present) . Secondly, to look at the future prospects for establishing a democratic state in Egypt based on constitution and constitutionalism.
Key words: Pharaonicism, democratization, liberalization, civil society, Naser, Sadat, Mubarak, authoritarianism.