Egypt's Revolution and the Arab World

{
  "authors": [
    "Michele Dunne"
  ],
  "type": "testimony",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center"
  ],
  "collections": [
    "Arab Awakening"
  ],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "MEP",
  "programs": [
    "Middle East"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "North Africa",
    "Egypt",
    "Gulf",
    "Levant",
    "Maghreb"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Political Reform"
  ]
}

Testimony

Egypt's Revolution and the Arab World

Demand for change in the Middle East and North Africa has been building for years, as youth unemployment plagued countries across the region and citizens felt their governments were not being held accountable for growing socio-economic problems.

By Michele Dunne

Published on Feb 22, 2011

Source: Women's Foreign Policy Group

The ongoing unrest in the Middle East and North Africa has its roots in similar conditions that prevail throughout the region, explained Michele Dunne in a speech at the Women's Foreign Policy Group. One of the main drivers of the tumult has been socio-economic grievances. Countries throughout the Arab world have burgeoning youth populations who find themselves with few, if any, economic opportunities. Meanwhile, most leaders of Arab countries have been in power for many years, decades in some instances, and political authority is heavily concentrated in their hands. Dunne explained that these kings and presidents are not freely elected, and thus unaccountable to the people, and the parliaments in these countries are very weak and generally unable to affect change.

Due to these phenomena, the demand for change in the region has been building for some time, Dunne said. Experts in the field did not predict the Tunisian uprising, but once it happened, it demonstrated to the people of the region that their regimes were more vulnerable than they thought and broke a barrier of fear. Since then, Dunne said, protests have swept across the region.

About the Author

Michele Dunne

Former Nonresident Scholar, Middle East Program

Michele Dunne was a nonresident scholar in Carnegie’s Middle East Program, where her research focuses on political and economic change in Arab countries, particularly Egypt, as well as U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Recent Work

Research
Islamic Institutions in Arab States: Mapping the Dynamics of Control, Co-option, and Contention
- +6
  Yasmine Farouk, Nathan J. Brown, Maysaa Shuja Al-Deen, …
Research
From Hardware to Holism: Rebalancing America’s Security Engagement With Arab States
- +8
  Robert Springborg, Emile Hokayem, Becca Wasser, …

Political Reform North Africa Egypt Gulf Levant Maghreb

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 Russia Eurasia Center

Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Who Is Responsible for the Demise of the Russian Internet?
The Russian state has opted for complete ideological control of the internet and is prepared to bear the associated costs.
Maria Kolomychenko
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Is Opposition to Online Restrictions an Inflection Point for the Russian Regime?
After four years of war, there is no one who can stand up to the security establishment, and President Vladimir Putin is increasingly passive.
Tatiana Stanovaya
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Is Frustration With Armenia’s Pashinyan Enough to Bring the Pro-Russia Opposition to Power?
It’s true that many Armenians would vote for anyone just to be rid of Pashinyan, whom they blame for the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, but the pro-Russia opposition is unlikely to be able to channel that frustration into an electoral victory.
Mikayel Zolyan
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
After Ilia II: What Will a New Patriarch Mean for Georgia?
The front-runner to succeed Ilia II, Metropolitan Shio, is prone to harsh anti-Western rhetoric and frequent criticism of “liberal ideologies” that he claims threaten the Georgian state. This raises fears that under his leadership the Georgian Orthodox Church will lose its unifying role and become an instrument of ultraconservative ideology.
Bashir Kitachaev
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Tokayev’s New Constitution Is a Bet on Stability—At Freedom’s Expense
Kazakhstan’s new constitution is an embodiment of the ruling elite’s fears and a self-serving attempt to preserve the status quo while they still can.
Serik Beysembaev

More Work from Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Who Is Responsible for the Demise of the Russian Internet?

The Russian state has opted for complete ideological control of the internet and is prepared to bear the associated costs.

Maria Kolomychenko

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Is Opposition to Online Restrictions an Inflection Point for the Russian Regime?

After four years of war, there is no one who can stand up to the security establishment, and President Vladimir Putin is increasingly passive.

Tatiana Stanovaya

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Is Frustration With Armenia’s Pashinyan Enough to Bring the Pro-Russia Opposition to Power?

It’s true that many Armenians would vote for anyone just to be rid of Pashinyan, whom they blame for the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, but the pro-Russia opposition is unlikely to be able to channel that frustration into an electoral victory.

Mikayel Zolyan

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

After Ilia II: What Will a New Patriarch Mean for Georgia?

The front-runner to succeed Ilia II, Metropolitan Shio, is prone to harsh anti-Western rhetoric and frequent criticism of “liberal ideologies” that he claims threaten the Georgian state. This raises fears that under his leadership the Georgian Orthodox Church will lose its unifying role and become an instrument of ultraconservative ideology.

Bashir Kitachaev

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Tokayev’s New Constitution Is a Bet on Stability—At Freedom’s Expense

Kazakhstan’s new constitution is an embodiment of the ruling elite’s fears and a self-serving attempt to preserve the status quo while they still can.

Serik Beysembaev