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Who are the Democrats? Leading Opinions in the Wake of Egypt’s 2011 Popular Uprisings

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  • Ishac Diwan

    (Center for International Development at Harvard University)

Abstract

look at changes in public opinion in Egypt, using the two waves of 2000 and 2008 of the World Value Survey. I find that during this period, there has been a major increase in popular support for democracy, a sizable rise in concerns about inequality, and a fall in support for political Islam. I examine the extent to which these changes are connected, and how they clustered along class, age, and education lines. The main findings are that while in 2000, younger Egyptians were more progressive than their parents, by 2008, Egyptian society had become much more organized around class interests and showed little inter-generational differentiation. New democrats come from all backgrounds, but with a concentration among those on the left. Among social classes, the middle class emerges as the main champion for democracy, driven by both aspiration and grievances motives

Suggested Citation

  • Ishac Diwan, 2013. "Who are the Democrats? Leading Opinions in the Wake of Egypt’s 2011 Popular Uprisings," CID Working Papers 256, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    • Handle: RePEc:cid:wpfacu:256
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ishac Diwan, 2014. "Understanding Revolution In The Middle East: The Central Role Of The Middle Class," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Ishac Diwan (ed.), UNDERSTANDING THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE ARAB UPRISINGS, chapter 3, pages 29-56, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..

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