Counting Islam
Religion, Class, and Elections in Egypt

This book explains why Islamist parties have dominated the politics of Egypt for the better part of fifty years.

Tarek Masoud (Author)

9780521279116, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 28 April 2014

276 pages, 45 b/w illus. 22 tables
22.6 x 15.2 x 1.8 cm, 0.39 kg

'In Counting Islam, Tarek Masoud asks how Islamists have performed in Egyptian electoral politics, both under authoritarianism and in their sweeping victories in the democratic elections that followed the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in 2011 … Ultimately, Masoud's theory posits an intriguing causal mechanism: Institutional embeddedness provides opportunities for communication that shapes perceptions.' Rana B. Khoury, Arab Studies Journal

Why does Islam seem to dominate Egyptian politics, especially when the country's endemic poverty and deep economic inequality would seem to render it promising terrain for a politics of radical redistribution rather than one of religious conservativism? This book argues that the answer lies not in the political unsophistication of voters, the subordination of economic interests to spiritual ones, or the ineptitude of secular and leftist politicians, but in organizational and social factors that shape the opportunities of parties in authoritarian and democratizing systems to reach potential voters. Tracing the performance of Islamists and their rivals in Egyptian elections over the course of almost forty years, this book not only explains why Islamists win elections, but illuminates the possibilities for the emergence in Egypt of the kind of political pluralism that is at the heart of what we expect from democracy.

Introduction: Islam's steady march
1. Explaining Islamist dominion
Part I. Elections under Authoritarianism: 2. Clientelism and class: the tragedy of leftist opposition in Mubarak's Egypt
3. The Islamic machine?
4. Winning in the 'well-run casino'
Part II. After the 'Arab Spring': 5. God, mammon, and transition
6. Islam's organizational advantage?
7. Conclusion
Epilogue: requiescat in pace?

Subject Areas: Comparative politics [JPB], Politics & government [JP]