Political Changes and the Middle Class in Egypt

Abstract: This paper analyzes the structure of Egyptian society in different periods, and explains the reasons of the social changes experienced in 2011. It is believed that the Sadat-Mubarak administrations' political and economic policies have led to distortions in the Egyptian social structure, and caused a 'fall' of the middle classes, that has destabilized Egyptian society. This paper will briefly consider the basic trajectory of the changes seen in Egypt and why the middle classes ultimately submitted to the Mubarak regime. This paper not only looks at the internal factors, but the external ones too-i.e. the difficult historical pretext and the huge international pressure on Arab countries like Egypt.