SOAS Department of Politics and International Studies Seminar Fiscal Sources of Modern Absolutism in Egypt Presenter: Professor Jason Brownlee, University of Texas, Austin author of Democracy Prevention: The Politics of the US-Egyptian Alliance (2012) Discussant: Professor Charles Tripp, SOAS, University of London author of The Power and the People: Paths of Resistance in the Middle East (2013) Wednesday 28th January 2015 5-7pm Room 4426 SOAS Main Building Abstract: Since 1882 Egyptians have lived under two kinds of nondemocracy, systems where the public imposes no institutional constraint on the executive (till summer 1952, the British government; afterward, the Egyptian military). In 1879, however, a group of Egyptians proposed the inherited ruler (Khedive Ismail) share power with an indirectly elected Assembly of Delegates. Their attempt at constitutional monarchism — and the reasons why it failed — carry implications for the political economic study of democratization. Existing theory holds that elites will share power (through parliaments) or usurp power (through coups) depending on what arrangement with citizens (democracy or nondemocracy) minimizes the threat of redistribution. The politics of Egypt 1879 fit that framework once two adjustments are made. First, the elites deciding the type of regime in Egypt were European governments and the investors they represented. Second, these foreign actors were more concerned about Ismail reneging on interest payments than expropriating their wealth. Professor Brownlees homepage: la.utexas.edu/users/jbrownlee/ Professor Tripps homepage: https://soas.ac.uk/staff/staff36173.php For more information, please email [email protected]
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 14:14:08 +0000
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