Adaptable Autocrats: Regime Power in Egypt and Syria

241 Pages·2012·2.502 MB·English

by  Joshua Stacher

Adaptable Autocrats
Stanford Studies in Middle Eastern and Islamic Societies and Cultures
Adaptable Autocrats
Regime PoweR in egyPt and SyRia
Joshua Stacher
Stanford University Press
Stanford, California
Stanford University Press
Stanford, California
©2012 by the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system without the prior written permission of Stanford University Press.
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free, archival-quality paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Stacher, Joshua, 1975- author.
Adaptable autocrats : regime power in Egypt and Syria / Joshua Stacher.
pages cm.--(Stanford studies in Middle Eastern and Islamic societies and cultures)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8047-8062-9 (cloth : alk. paper)--ISBN 978-0-8047-8063-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Egypt--Politics and government--1981- 2. Syria--Politics and government--2000-
3. Dictatorship--Egypt. 4. Dictatorship--Syria. 5. Authoritarianism--Egypt. 6.
Authoritarianism--Syria. 7. Comparative government. I. Title. II. Series: Stanford studies in
Middle Eastern and Islamic societies and cultures.
DT107.87.S73 2012
956.7104'2--dc23 2012002768
Typeset by Bruce Lundquist in 10/14 Minion
To my parents, Kim and Marcia,
for giving me all the opportunities
anyone could ever have dreamed of

ContentS
Acknowledgments ix
Abbreviations and Acronyms xiii
Introduction: Changing to Stay the Same 1
1 Debating Authoritarianism 28
2 The Origins of Executive Authority 47
3 Adaptation and Elite Co-optation 79
4 Adaptation and Nonelite Co-optation 120
5 The 2011 Uprisings and the Future of Autocratic Adaptation 156
Notes 179
References 201
Index 219

aCknowledgmentS
this book is the product of nearly a decade of research, writing, persistence,
happiness, luck, and pain. Its completion would not have been possible without
the generosity and love of so many friends and family members. While I am
solely responsible for any errors that remain, I could not ask for a better set of
friends and fellow journeyers. They not only helped me make a better book,
they also made me a better person than had I been left to my own devices.
Firstly, I would like to thank Ray Hinnebusch for being a steady and thought-
ful advisor while I was at the University of St. Andrews. His patience and care
are impressive. I probably did not appreciate life in St. Andrews as much as I
should have, but it was the perfect environment to design my research on Egypt
and Syria.
My closest friends—academics and nonacademics—also taught me how to
see the world from many different angles, which affected my research. Jason
Brownlee and I have been close friends since first meeting in Cairo in 2002. In
addition to sharing in each other’s professional and personal milestones, Jason
inspires me to keep pushing my intellectual boundaries. His sharp criticisms
always make my work stronger. Samer Shehata also became a close friend in
Cairo. He knows more about Egypt than I ever will. But, after each conversa-
tion, my research and ideas get more nuanced.
Story Monforte and I have literally traveled around the world together. He
is my longest constant friend. His spontaneity and sense of humor have a way
of breaking me out of my rigid routines. I am indebted to him and to the en-
tire Monforte family for their generosity over the years. Ara Ayer is also a dear
friend. A photographer by trade, Ara taught me how to capture the beauty of a
moment and enjoy good jazz.
Of course, the debts to my many other friends and colleagues are as impor-
tant. Unfortunately, there is not the space to detail their contributions. I will,
however, make a point to tell them all how much their friendship, advice, and
ix