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- The Political Economy of Reforms in Egypt
The Political Economy of Reforms in Egypt
Issues and Policymaking since 1952
by Khalid Ikram
472 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in, 20 Excel charts
- Paperback
- 9789774169953
- July 2021
- Region: Worldwide
£24.99
LE650.00
$29.95
- Hardback
- 9789774167942
- March 2018
- Region: Worldwide
$49.95
LE750.00
£39.50
- EPUB
- 9781617978661
- March 2018
- Region: Worldwide
$23.99
- 9781617978678
- March 2018
- Region: Worldwide
$23.99
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An indispensable study of the Egyptian economy from 1952 to the present day, new in paperback
What are the long-term structural features of the Egyptian economy? What are the factors that have facilitated or inhibited its performance? This crucial and timely work answers these questions and more by examining the most important economic decisions to have impacted the Egyptian economy since 1952 and the political factors behind them.
Drawing on Khalid Ikram’s extensive knowledge of economic policymaking at the highest levels, The Political Economy of Reforms in Egypt lays out the enduring features of the Egyptian economy and its performance since 1952 before presenting an account of policymaking, growth and structural change under the country’s successive presidents to the present day. Topics covered include agrarian reforms; the Aswan High Dam; the move towards Arab socialism and a planned economy; the reversal of strategy and the infitah; fiscal, monetary, and exchange-rate policies; consumer subsidies; external debt crises; negotiations between Egypt and international donors and financial institutions; privatization; labor and employment; and poverty and income distribution. The analysis concludes with an examination of institutional reforms and development strategies to tackle the Egyptian economy’s structural problems and lay the foundation for sustained and rapid growth.
Written from the point of view of a ‘participant-observer,’ this book will be indispensable to students of political economy, to scholars of Egypt and the Middle East, and to the general reader who wishes to understand, especially from the wealth of insider information provided, how domestic and international politics and economics can interact to shape decisions that promote, or prevent, economic reforms.
This paperback edition includes a new preface by the author that explores the role of culture and institutions in economic performance and the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic for the Egyptian economy, as well as providing an update of the country’s major macroeconomic developments since 2018.
Introduction
1. The Political Economy of Economic Reform
2. Recurring Issues in Egypt's Political Economy
3. Egypt's Economic Performance since 1952
4. Population: Dividend or Nightmare?
5. Major Political Economy Issues in the Abdel Nasser Era, 1952-70
6. Major Political Economy Issues in the Sadat Era, 1970-81
7. Major Political Economy Issues in the Mubarak Era, 1981-2011
8. Post-Mubarak Issues
9. The Present and the Future
Khalid Ikram has been associated with Egypt’s economic development for forty years, including as director of the World Bank’s Egypt department. He has been a consultant to several institutions, including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, USAID, OECD, UNDP and many other leading international and private institutions. He is the author of Egypt: Economic Management in a Period of Transition (1981) and The Egyptian Economy, 1952–2000: Performance, Policies, and Issues (2006).
"A must read for all those with an interest in the political calculations that underlie the making and implementing of economic policies." —Shahid Yusuf, George Washington University School of Business
"An important contribution not just to the economic history of Egypt, but to the political economy of aid and development." —Ehtisham Ahmad, University of Bonn and London School of Economics
"This book is a gem…It is poised to be a classic read for students, researchers, and practitioners alike.” —Tarek H. Selim, The American University in Cairo
"This book is not only a major analytical contribution toward understanding the Egyptian political economy, but also provides a template for assessing policy challenges in other developing countries, particularly in the Middle East." —Zubair Iqbal, Middle East Institute
"Khalid Ikram cuts straight through to the deep-rooted causes for the failure to improve productivity and growth. With breadth, precision and clarity, he traces the absence of real reform back to the low level of political legitimacy accorded to the regimes in place since the 1970s and to governance more focused on political survival than on the pursuit of long-term economic growth." —Ishac Diwan, Chaire Economie Monde Arabe, Paris Sciences et Lettres
"This outstanding book puts Egypt's economic history in the context of those of other developing countries, comparing it to such histories in East Asia and Latin America. Ikram skillfully weaves economic theory into his account of Egyptian economic policies over the last half century and assesses the role and effectiveness of foreign aid." —John Waterbury, Foreign Affairs
"Magisterial"—Jon Alterman, Center for Strategic and International Studies
"A compelling and refreshingly insightful explanation of Egypt's political economy based on an insider's perspective. . . . a definitely valuable addition to the literature."—Middle East Journal
"A complex, but comprehensive web of analysis." —China International Strategy Review
"This book is an outstanding work on several fronts. It is not only a book on the political economy of reforms in Egypt; rather it is the only book available that has tackled economic reforms in a comprehensive manner. . . . serves a wide audience, ranging from policymakers to academics to students and laymen. . . . an indispensable source." —Ahmed Ghoneim, Review of Economics and Political Science
"A useful resource for understanding Egypt’s economic predicaments"—Yuriko Takahashi, The Developing Economies
"Khalid Ikram's book is a must read for anyone looking for a comprehensive review of Egypt's political economic challenges of the past 70 years. . . . It's approachable for non-economists while having enough substance to benefit specialists as well who are looking for qualitative context to the story told in the data on Egypt's economic history. It's also a pleasure to read." —Timothy Kaldas, The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy
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