Economic motives behind the 2011 Egyptian Revolution

Abstract

Although it took place over only 18 days, the 2011 Egyptian Revolution was a significant socio-political event in modern Middle East history. As a part of an upsurge of protest movements across the region, the Egyptian revolution followed Tunisia’s successful revolution. These protests incited many questions and intersectional studies that have looked at economic, social, and political factors that came into existence leading to the Arab Spring. Focusing on Egypt as a case study, this thesis examines the economic motives of the revolution that grew out of those factors. Specifically, it focuses on the concepts of poverty, unequal income distribution, and youth unemployment as major reasons of the protesters’ unrest. Change in the political system has had a clear impact on the country’s foreign relations and stability in Middle East. Therefore, understanding the role of economic motives in the revolution is vital to understanding Egyptian foreign relations and their influence on stability. Moreover, studying the role of those economic conditions in Egypt could be helpful for any other country concerning future policies regarding uprisings and political instabilities. Thus, the results of this study could be used to assess an alternate and more sustainable strategy aimed at maintaining and promoting stability.