Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Democratic Commitment In The Middle East: A Conjoint Analysis, Hannah M. Ridge

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

Polls from the Middle East/North Africa show high support for democracy. However, the veracity of this support has been called into question. This study uses a conjoint analysis to show that citizens support democratic institutions, as well as favoring an effective welfare state and a state religion. The results demonstrate that support for elected governance is not contingent on the state's providing economic benefits; citizens are more likely to favor participatory government at each level of economic outcome. Interest in incorporating religion in the state, however, is contingent on the political and economic profile described; the contingent effects suggest interest …

New Balance Or New Front? Egyptian Foreign Policy In Eastern Mediterranean, 2013-2019, Moatamer Amin, Moatamer Amin

Political Science

Since the beginning of the millennium, all the regional energy players in the East Mediterranean had good cooperation with little intra-state rivalry or tensions. The Arab Gas Pipeline was successfully carrying Egyptian natural gas to Jordon, Lebanon, Syria and Israel. Egypt had signed agreements to further connect with the Turkish pipeline network, carrying natural gas to the European markets. However, the Egyptian government was facing an internal challenge concerning the normalization of economic relations with Israel. Public opinion was completely against the deal, yet the rest of the Arab Gas Pipeline destinations represented aspiration for further Arab cooperation.

In 2010, …

Fgm In Egypt Between Socio-Cultural Barriers And Lack Of Political Will, Yasmin Khodary, Nehal Hamdy

Political Science

Purpose – This study aims to detect the main factors impeding the anti-female genital mutilation (FGM) efforts in Egypt post the January 25 revolution, with a special focus on the era of president El-Sisi. The purpose of this paper is to explain the reasons behind the continuation of violence against women in Egypt, namely, FGM, in light of the patriarchal structures and the state willingness to address that challenge. Design/methodology/approach – The study utilizes a qualitative methodology. The study embarks on in-depth semi-structured interviews with 23 participants who experienced FGM and nine key informants from medical, religious, political and civil …

The Role Of Regional Media In Shaping Political Awareness Of Youth: Evidence From Egypt, Amany Khodair, Mostafa Aboelsoud, Mahmoud Khalifa

Political Science

This is an exploratory study that aims to answer the question of whether and to what extent regional media are influential in shaping political awareness and its role in influencing public opinion, especially that of young people. We examined regional media in Egypt, more precisely in the Suez Canal Region. To ensure the validity of our results, we deployed a number of different data collection methods: the collection, analysis, and integration of quantitative and qualitative research. The results reveal that regional media have the potential to contribute effectively in raising youths’ political awareness of the public policy-making process. The recommendations …

Egypt’S 2011–2012 Parliamentary Elections: Voting For Religious Vs. Secular Democracy?, H. Ege Ozen

Publications and Research

This study investigates whether individuals’ attitudes towards democracy and

secular politics have any influence on voting behavior in Egypt. Based on data

from a survey conducted immediately after the Egyptian parliamentary elections

in January 2012, this study finds that Egyptians’ attitudes towards democratic

governance were quite negative around the parliamentary elections, yet Egyptians

still endorsed democracy as the ideal political system for their country. However,

empirical findings suggest that support for democracy has a limited impact on

electoral results. On the other hand, the main division in Egyptian society around

the first free and fair parliamentary elections was the religious-secular …

Nasser Of Egypt And The Egypt Of Nasser, Pria G. Jackson

Undergraduate Research Awards

In the Egyptian consciousness, there is a date that resonates in the nation’s memory as the official catalyst that led to the rise of modern Egypt: July 23, 1952. On this day, a military group called the Free Officers rose up and seized control of Egypt from the monarchs and British colonizers in a near bloodless coup d’état. The face of the Free Officers at the time of the coup was General Muhammad Naguib (1901 – 1984), but the brain and heart of the movement was the then colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918 – 1970). During the first three years …

Informal Non-State Policing: Case Study Of Egypt, Yasmin Khodary

Political Science

No abstract provided.

Early Warning Systems For Refugee Crises: Between Ideals And Practice, Dalia El Fiki

Capstone and Graduation Projects

Early warning is often regarded as the solution to complex forced migration questions. The assumption is that if early warning systems are in place, host nations, NGOs and international organizations can prepare for mass influxes. This seemed to be the case with the Turkish government’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis, where Turkey and its local NGOs seemed prepared for the arrival of Syrian refugees and set up a local legislation to accept Syrians and prepared camps swiftly and promptly. On the other hand, the Egyptian government did not have the same degree of planning in order to accept and …

Citizenship Education In Egypt, Madeline Waddell

Summer Research

The Arab Spring brought hope of a democratic Middle East to many in the international community. While the literature on democratic transitions includes an array of components, scholars on the region have concentrated on institutional developments such as elections and constitutions. While these structural components are essential, this paper advocates for citizenship education as another crucial element in democratic transitions. Although not typically part of this literature, citizenship education entails building an informed and active populace able to contribute to a total culture of democracy. This paper analyzes these pedagogic efforts in transitional Egypt by contrasting the State’s role in …

A Forecast For The Middle East: The Reemergence Of An Islamic Caliphate In The Midst Of The Arab Spring, Jennifer M. Basselgia

Senior Honors Theses

The Middle East region is inherently volatile and associated with radical religious behavior. Beginning in December of 2010, a Tunisian street vendor inspired a wave of revolutions and protests launched by the people of many Middle Eastern countries, demanding regime change and democratic ideals. This season of revolution, dubbed the Arab Spring, has been characterized as both a period of Enlightenment in the Arab world and a cause for concern for Western powers.

This thesis will approach the Arab Spring in light of the ideologies and influences swarming into the power vacuum left by the recently deposed governments. It will …

Arab Spring Uprisings: Revolutionary Patterns And Theoretical Explanations, Doha Mostafa

Papers, Posters, and Presentations

The paper briefly highlights theoretical explanations of concurrent Arab uprisings through a literature review on the writings of democratization, authoritarianism in the Middle East and third generation insights on the causes of revolutions. Theoretical explanations are supported with empirical evidences from State Fragility, and Transformation Index on the democracy status of eight Arab countries: Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, Bahrain, Jordan, Libya, Yemen, and Algeria. The paper seeks to illustrate differences of revolutionary patterns among those countries, how this can be theoretically explained, and how concurrent upheavals would draw a new political map for the region. Through theoretical discussion to Arab uprisings, …

The Media' Role In Constructing The Real Estate Problem In Egypt And Its Impacts On Policymakers' Decision, Case Study (Madinaty And Palm Hills), Nahla Mahmoud

Papers, Posters, and Presentations

The media plays a crucial role in defining and constructing the social problems (Parsons, 1995); if there is an agreement among the policymakers and the stakeholders on a certain problem, policies should be taken to resolve this problem. Although most of the literature acknowledged the role of the media in constructing the problems, there has been no agreement among them on its particular functions or role, its determinants and the ways of influence and impacts on making policies. Some scholars maximized the role of the media, other minimized it to the lower level and the rest put some determinants and …

Egypt's Civic Revolution Turns 'Democracy Promotion' On Its Head, Sheila Carapico

Political Science Faculty Publications

Did western political aid agencies encourage the 25 January uprising with their civil society promotion projects? Did they encourage mass mobilization against the regime, or perhaps tutor dissidents in how to organize grassroots opposition? At the same time as the United States and other NATO powers were providing economic and military assistance to the Egyptian regime, did they also foment popular defiance? Some people seem to think so; different narratives about foreign provocation of Egypt's uprising circulated in Arabic and in English.

Which Egyptian Parties Represent Women And Copts And Young People?, Heba Galal

Papers, Posters, and Presentations

The purpose of this post is to compile research on which Egyptian parties represent women and Copts and young people This had been copied from Dr. Warigia Bowman’s blog, Dr. Warigia Bowman is a Visiting Assistant professor in the department of Public Policy and Administration at AUC .This research had done in collaboration with my professor and me while I was working with her as research assistant during the parliamentary elections in Egypt that took place in 2011. My name’s Heba Galal and I’m doing my master’s degree in Public Administration at AUC.

Applying The Swot Analysis On Egyptian Nonprofit Organizations: A Case Study Of Future Protectors For Care And Development Association, Nashwa Ghoneim

Papers, Posters, and Presentations

The civil society has taken a very active role in the quest for democracy that continues to spread across the continents till it reached the Middle East region only recently. This is clear given the successive revolts that have taken place in many of the Arab countries calling for real democracy. Therefore, especially in Egypt, efforts should be directed toward defending civil society organizations and activists who are being threatened by the coercive authoritarian government actions over the past decades (Naidoo, 2007).