Egypt--Don't Give Up on Democracy Promotion

Publication Date: July 2007

Publisher: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Author(s): Michele Dunne; Amr Hamzawy; Nathan Brown

Research Area: Government

Type: Brief

Coverage: Egypt

Abstract:

Egypt still represents the best chance for U.S. democracy promotion in the Arab world in the near future, according to this Policy Brief by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The situation in Iraq and Islamist electoral victories in the region have seen support for U.S. democracy promotion wane among domestic audiences and within the administration. Yet claims that the U.S. must choose between democracy promotion and strategic cooperation in Egypt--or between an authoritarian government and an Islamic extremist one--set a false premise. The authors argue that making democratization a cornerstone of the U.S.-Egyptian relationship is the best way to promote both countries' interests now and over the long term.

In this Carnegie Policy Brief, Egypt--Don't Give Up on Democracy Promotion, senior associates Nathan Brown, Michele Dunne, and Amr Hamzawy assess the current state of democratic reforms and the potential for transition in Egypt. They recommend a number of steps the U.S. can take to strengthen the chances for political reform and salvage previous U.S. efforts towards democracy promotion in the Arab world.