Egypt is one of the major powers in the Middle East. The vigour of its cultural life and the extent of its influence make it a force which cannot be ignored in the Arab world. Yet, despite the comparative confidence with which its rulers handle power, the country has a politically contradictory past with which to come to terms, as well as its role in a region of shifting political identity and allegiance.

This book examines the causes and consequences of the many crises within the Egyptian political, sociological, economic and moral legacy and the strategies which Mubarak's government has devised to cope with that legacy. The book's concern is for the capacity of the present administration to avoid expediency and the generation of further crisis and rather to employ Egypt's considerable resources in the shaping of a distinct and effective role for the country.

Charles Tripp and Roger Owen, both Centre for Near and Middle Eastern Studies, School of Oriental and African Studies

Chapter 1 Government and the State in Egypt Today, Nazih N. Ayubi; Chapter 2 The Role of the Official Opposition, Mona Makram Ebeid; Chapter 3 Political Crisis and Political Conflict in Post-1967 Egypt, Hani Shukrallah; Chapter 4 Migration, Inflation and Social Mobility: A Sociological Interpretation of Egypt's Current Economic and Political Crisis, Galal A. Amin; Chapter 5 Debt and Egypt's Financial Policies, David Butter; Chapter 6 Egypt: Some Issues in Agricultural Sector Policy, Simon Commander; Chapter 7 Egypt and the Region in the 1980s, Charles Tripp;