• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
Democracy
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Robert Kagan",
    "Michele Dunne"
  ],
  "type": "commentary",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "MEP",
  "programs": [
    "Middle East"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Middle East",
    "North Africa",
    "Egypt"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Political Reform",
    "Democracy"
  ]
}
REQUIRED IMAGE

REQUIRED IMAGE

Commentary

U.S. Policy Toward Egypt—A Primer on the Upcoming Elections

Egyptian parliamentary elections later this year and an imminent presidential succession will play an enormous role in determining whether one of the Arab world’s most important states and one of America's most crucial allies undergoes long overdue political, economic, and social reforms.

Link Copied
By Robert Kagan and Michele Dunne
Published on Sep 21, 2010
Program mobile hero image

Program

Middle East

The Middle East Program in Washington combines in-depth regional knowledge with incisive comparative analysis to provide deeply informed recommendations. With expertise in the Gulf, North Africa, Iran, and Israel/Palestine, we examine crosscutting themes of political, economic, and social change in both English and Arabic.

Learn More

Egypt is nearing a critical turning point. Parliamentary elections later this year and an imminent presidential succession will play an enormous role in determining whether one of the Arab world’s most important states and one of America's most crucial allies undergoes long overdue political, economic, and social reforms.

The Working Group on Egypt, a nonpartisan group of experts from Washington’s leading think tanks and advocacy organizations, attended a closed-door staff briefing hosted by the office of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Michele Dunne of the Carnegie Endowment and Robert Kagan of the Brookings Institution addressed the current state of play in Egypt, how the coming elections will impact the U.S.-Egyptian relationship, and outlined the policy options available to members of Congress.

Authors

Robert Kagan
Former Senior Associate
Robert Kagan
Michele Dunne
Former Nonresident Scholar, Middle East Program
Michele Dunne
Political ReformDemocracyMiddle EastNorth AfricaEgypt

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

  • GCC foreign minister meeting in Kuwait City on June 2, 2025
    Article
    Can the Gulf Cooperation Council Transcend Its Divisions?

    Without structural reform, the organization, which is racked by internal rivalries, risks sliding into irrelevance.

      Hesham Alghannam

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Notes From Kyiv: Is Ukraine Preparing for Elections?

    As discussions about settlement and elections move from speculation to preparation, Kyiv will have to manage not only the battlefield, but also the terms of political transition. The thaw will not resolve underlying tensions; it will only expose them more clearly.

      Balázs Jarábik

  • Photo of Marco Rubio speaking while Donald Trump sits beside him at the table with a row of flags behind them.
    Article
    The Trump Administration’s Tangled Talk About Democracy Abroad

    How significant are statements by senior U.S. officials about supporting democracy abroad in the context of a foreign policy led by a president focused on near-term transactional interests?

      • McKenzie Carrier

      Thomas Carothers, McKenzie Carrier

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Once Neutral on the Ukraine War, Arab States Increasingly Favor Moscow

    Disillusioned with the West over Gaza, Arab countries are not only trading more with Russia; they are also more willing to criticize Kyiv.  

      Ruslan Suleymanov

  • U.S. and Indian flags on display.
    Paper
    Indian Americans in a Time of Turbulence: 2026 Survey Results

    A new Carnegie survey of Indian Americans examines shifting vote preferences, growing political ambivalence, and rising concerns about discrimination amid U.S. policy changes and geopolitical uncertainty.

      • +1

      Milan Vaishnav, Sumitra Badrinathan, Devesh Kapur, …

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600Fax: 202 483 1840
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.