bq. The long-term politics of post-Mubarak Egypt remain to be determined, but so far there is as much continuity as change.
From Jason Brownlee and Joshua Stacher, writing in Jadaliyya (via Marc Lynch). Here is more:
bq. Even under the nominal republicanism of Mubarak, the military’s budget was outside of legislative oversight and the armed forces were a taboo subject for the country’s otherwise feisty media. After February 11, the sectors of defense and intelligence have stayed in the hands of officers and the military’s extensive involvement in the economy has not been disrupted. Indeed, it may grow over coming months, particularly if the armed forces acquire Egypt’s lucrative natural gas rents…Large swaths of the Egyptian public seem comfortable with the military’s provisional rule. A March 19 referendum amending the constitution gave a proxy approval rating for the SCAF: the measure passed with 77% amid record turnout, orderly voting, and overt endorsement of the military’s stewardship. Banners extolling the armed forces (“The People and the Army are One”) abounded near polling stations.
The piece is a very nice attempt to apply political science — e.g., on transitions from authoritarianism — to the Egyptian case. Find it here.