The International Dimensions of Democratization in Egypt

This book purports to examine the international dimensions of the democratization process in Egypt in the post Cold War era; a theme which acquired significance at the academic and policy-oriented levels in light of the growing internationalization of reform arrangements in the Arab world in post 9/11 and the greater involvement of external powers in Arab politics following the Arab Spring uprisings.

During the second half of the twentieth century, the mainstream scholarship presented the democratization process as the outcome of domestic conditions not significantly influenced by actors outside the nation-state. With the end of the Cold War, this perspective was challenged as a result of the third wave of democratization and the subsequent growth of the good governance discourse on the agenda of the international development establishment. The new perspective attached a more significant role to external factors in the democratization process than was originally conceptualized.

Develops a conceptual framework which, based on theories of international relations, delineates the set of external factors with democratizing effects Critically evaluates the role of external factors in the democratization process in Egypt, an important domain that has not adequately been addressed to date The findings raise significant issues for external programmes to promote democracy in the Arab world Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext
Gamal M. Selim is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Port Said University (Egypt) and the British University in Egypt, and the Coordinator of Academic Activity for the International Association of Middle Eastern Studies (IAMES). He obtained a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Calgary in 2011. His research interests include international relations theory, arms control and non-proliferation, democratization, politics of development and international relations of the Middle East. His most recent work include: Global and Regional Approaches to Arms Control in the Middle East: A Critical Assessment from the Arab World (2013); Sectarianism and External Intervention: The US Occupation of Iraq and the Rise of 'Political Sectarianism' in the Arab World (2013). He has published numerous articles on Egyptian and Middle East politics. His latest journal articles have appeared in Arab Studies Quarterly and International Journal of Contemporary Iraqi Studies.

Inhalt

Introduction.- Conventional Explanations of Egyptian Democratization.- External Factors and Democratization: A Conceptual Framework.- Egyptian Political Transformations since Independence.- Egypt's Integration into the Global Economy and the Dynamics of Political Deliberalization.- The Western Democracy Agenda in Egypt: The Persistence of the Democracy-Stability Dilemma.- Global Civil Society and Egypt's Transition: The Dynamics of the Boomerang Effect.- Egypt and the Cross-National Diffusion of Democratic Experiences.- Conclusion.