Description
Book SynopsisClassless Politics offers a counterintuitive account of the relationship between neoliberal economics and Islamist politics in Egypt. Hesham Sallam examines why Islamist movements have gained support at the expense of the left, even amid conflicts over the costs of economic reforms.
Trade ReviewSallam has written a compelling and excellent book on the ways the structural conditions surrounding economic austerity measures shaped Islamist responses and successes in Egypt. Today, Egypt, like many other countries, sees “less class and more identity” in its everyday politics. This transformation is directly tied to the weakening of leftist parties and the dominance of neoliberalism. Sallam puts forth a rich book that captures the sentiments of elites and citizens as they embraced this new reality. -- Amaney A. Jamal, author of
Of Empires and Citizens: Pro-American Democracy or No Democracy at All?Classless Politics is a welcome addition for understanding the past fifty years of oppositional politics in Egypt. As the Islamists joined forces in the state’s neoliberal governing project as “opposition,” the left and class analysis were practically eliminated while socioeconomic inequalities expanded. This research not only provides a coherent history but also shows how this structure nurtured deeper divisions between opposition groups in the decades prior to the Egyptian Uprising.
Classless Politics is a must-read for students of Egypt’s politics. -- Joshua Stacher, author of
Watermelon Democracy: Egypt's Turbulent TransitionTable of ContentsAcknowledgments
A Note on Transliteration
Introduction. More Identity, Less Class: Paths to Classless Politics
1. Inheriting Nasser’s Debts: The Rise and Fall of the Nasserist Social Pact
2. Islamist Incorporation in the State of Science and Faith
3. Sadat’s Brothers: Islamist Incorporation and the Autonomous Path
4. Nasser’s Comrades: State Guardianship and the Dependent Path
5. Islamist Incorporation, National Identity, and the Left: A Tale of Two Comrades
Conclusion. Reflections on the Legacies of Islamist Incorporation and the Post-Mubarak Politics
Appendix I. The Theoretical Argument, Key Concepts, and Central Assumptions
Appendix II. Critical Junctures and Path-Dependent Institutional Patterns
Notes
Bibliography
Index
