Government
and Politics
S
ince the 1952 revolution, when Egypt threw off the colonial
yoke and became truly free, this Arab giant has walked a
tightrope in the international arena. It has stepped carefully
between the superpowers, between the Arab East and the West,
between secular and religious affairs within the country, and between
confrontation and accommodation with its twentieth-century foe,
Israel. The political challenges have been huge and the choices dif-
ficult. Egypt’s leaders have been invested with the authority to back
up their decisions.
Egyptian Politics Since 1956
When Gamal Abdel Nasser became president in 1956, he resolved to
make Egypt an important and independent power both within the
region and among developing nations around the world. He called
for “nonalignment,” meaning that Egypt should not be subservient