Egypt transitioning, but to what?
February 8th, 2011
02:01 PM ET

Egypt transitioning, but to what?

With protesters still in the streets of Cairo and newly appointed government officials meeting with some opposition leaders, Egypt faces an uncertain future. The outcome will depend largely on the course charted by a transitional government.

Many other countries have been down the path Egypt finds itself on. A popular uprising undermines the authority of a long-standing regime and a period of chaos ensues. Transitional governments often take control and their success at ushering in change varies depending on a multitude of factors.

"In many of these cases, if the military splits or goes against the ruler and helps to bring in some transition with popular support, it still may take a cycle or more to get to an actual democratic regime or to accomplish real change," said Georgia State University political science professor Jennifer McCoy, citing past transitions in Latin American, Eastern Europe and the Philippines.

There is no guaranteed route to success, McCoy said, and often, while there may be some wholesale changes, the people in positions of authority remain at the top in transitional governments. 

“In a case where there is no clear leader or leading group such as in Egypt today that spurred the change, it’s very difficult to predict where it’s going to go."

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Filed under: Egypt
soundoff (33 Responses)
  1. Cesar

    @Cesar of 4:16. Hi monkey. I heard your mother works downtown. She is good at hand jobs. Give me her phone number, monkey. I want a good time. Please don't make me wait until the morning. The article is correct, no guarantee to success. I'm hopeful all will be ok. What do you think, monkey????

    February 8, 2011 at 10:07 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Cesar

    Thank you,Daniel. I couldn't have said it better, except to add, I'm a moron....Thank you,Daniel. I couldn't have said it better, except to add, I'm a moron....Thank you,Daniel. I couldn't have said it better, except to add, I'm a moron....Thank you,Daniel. I couldn't have said it better. Except to add, I'm a moron....Thank you Daniel. I couldn't have said it better, except to add that I'm a moron....Thank you,Daniel. I couldn't have said it better. Except to add I'm a moron.

    February 8, 2011 at 10:24 pm | Report abuse |
    • Mateusz

      Luke Akehurst AND Alex Hilton are morons if you ask me, and that Chris Paul to boot. But Alex takes the cisbuit this week, selling tosh to the Indy who have been scammed.There is no authority and no authenticity to the LH "poll" of self selecting respondents of unknown political allegiances.Some of the same sock puppets as the ones operating over at Labour Home as leader writers have been attacking here and at Tom Watson's too.Alex and Co didn't "write to Labour Party members" as some apologists suggest they wrote to their open to all mailing list and to their open to all blog.Shame on the Independent – and the rest of the media sheeple – for presenting this bit of light relief as a serious poll alongside those by proper polling organisations.The methodology doesn't stand up. The sample is both self selecting and uncontrolled. If it reflects the actual views of the grass roots in any way – even of the presumably youngish blog reading wild eyes tendancy – that is purely by chance. I'm sure Alex can see that himself.And what's more the views will have changed even in the last five days. The Indy needed to have more cautions on this stuff and Labour Home mustn't over-sell their status or authenticity. .

      April 22, 2012 at 3:26 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Cesar

    (((((((((((((((((((((((( Daniel, I think Egypt needs a socialist revolution, and I'm a moron, I'm a moron, I'm a moron, I'm a moron, I'm a moron, I'm a moron, I'm a moron, I'm a moron, I'm a moron, I'm a moron, I'm a moron, I'm a moron))))))))))))))))))))

    February 8, 2011 at 10:29 pm | Report abuse |
    • Cesar

      Hey Daniel,don't let this hateful,ignorant Tea Partier posting under my name get your goat. He doesn't seem to know better. I think that he's envious of your intelligence.

      February 9, 2011 at 8:41 am | Report abuse |
  4. bert

    Everbody wants to be a tough guy, 'eh, Ernie? Just say the magic word, however mean-spirited it ny be, and that makes a tough guy, right?. Right? Sound pretty 'right' to me, 'eh Ernie? Did that guy say, To 'ell with our contrymen, Ernie? Lot of vets out there, with no direction home, that need help. To 'ell with them, too? Lots of homeless families, these days, Ernie, women and children. To 'ell with 'em, too, Ernie? Maybe the oppression we're seeing across the Mideast is takin' hold right here. How is it that we adorate our forefathers for igniting the American Revolution against oppression, but nobody else can? Independance and oppression don't seem to add up, Ernie. Independance from OPEC spells independance from oil, Ernie. Exxon's reported 56% profit, last quarter, but our economy's still in the little boy's room, Ernie. American industry's not doin' much for the families and vets stuck under bridges, all wrapped in cardboard against the cold of oppression, and tough guys, who say the 'ell with them, like that Mubarak tough guy does in Egypt. We just may be viewing our own future if we don't start squeazin' beans and looking to the sun, instead of oil, for energy. Might be 'bout time to get back to practicing our letters and numbers, 'eh, Ernie

    February 8, 2011 at 10:59 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Cesar

    "Do you know me Bert?!!"

    February 8, 2011 at 11:04 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Jim

    I read some of your posts, Cesar. [I was bert]. Know you? I have impressions of you, but can' say I know you.

    February 8, 2011 at 11:24 pm | Report abuse |
  7. carlos from mex

    Egypt is transitioning into a better country. The problem is I can't go there because I am gay, but I have seen so many cute guys on the news protesting. Oh, I want one.

    February 9, 2011 at 7:30 am | Report abuse |
  8. carlos from mex

    Hi

    February 9, 2011 at 8:41 am | Report abuse |
  9. rumrunner

    why don't the cubans reclaim THEIR country??!!

    February 9, 2011 at 10:42 am | Report abuse |
    • Cesar

      They don't have to since the United States doesn't yet own it. Both the U.S.government and the Mafia lost out there back in 1959!!!

      February 9, 2011 at 10:54 am | Report abuse |
  10. TICARRA

    HELL ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT MONEY THEN

    February 9, 2011 at 11:11 am | Report abuse |
  11. Cesar

    Is that so, cesar??

    February 9, 2011 at 12:53 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Cesar

    I want a hamburger.

    February 9, 2011 at 3:22 pm | Report abuse |
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