The Social Origins of Authoritarian Regimes: A History of State-Middle Class Relations in Egypt

A lecture by Relli Shechter, Greenberg Middle East Scholar-in-Residence.

How do we explain the longevity of authoritarianism in the Middle East? Pundits, journalists, and academics have offered a series of different answers to this question, ranging from cultural, religious, and structural explanations. Based on my forthcoming book, entitled The Egyptian Social Contract: A History of State–Middle Class Relations, this talk explores the intricacies of both formal and informal agreements between the Egyptian state and its citizens. These agreements constitute what I call the Egyptian social contract. I investigate this social contract by concentrating on the political economy in Egypt in the aftermath of Second World War during the reign of president Gamal Abdel Nasser. Egypt’s political economy reveals the connections between the burgeoning middle class and the entrenchment of authoritarianism. Although the talk focuses on Egypt, it also reflects on authoritarianism across the broader region, suggesting that regional authoritarian regimes will only be replaced by strong social coalitions whose joint hope for change will allow genuine transformation in politics.

Relli Shechter is the 2022 Greenberg Middle East Scholar-in-Residence at Skidmore College and Chair of the Department of Middle East Studies at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.

Co-sponsored by the Office of Special Programs and the History Department.

Admission is free and open to the public. Attendees must adhere to Skidmore’s current COVID-19 safety guidelines.