Arab Fall

How did Egypts Muslim Brotherhood win power so quickly after the dramatic Arab Spring uprising that ended President Hosni Mubaraks thirty-year reign in February 2011? And why did the Brotherhood fall from power even more quickly, culminating with the popular rebellion and military coup that toppled Egypts first elected president, Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi, in July 2013? In Arab Fall, Eric Trager examines the Brotherhoods decision making throughout this critical period, explaining its reasons for joining the 2011 uprising, running for a majority of the seats in the 20112012 parliamentary elections, and nominating a presidential candidate despite its initial promise not to do so. Based on extensive research in Egypt and interviews with dozens of Brotherhood leaders and cadres including Morsi, Trager argues that the very organizational characteristics that helped the Brotherhood win power also contributed to its rapid downfall. The Brotherhoods intensive process for recruiting members and its rigid nationwide command-chain meant that it possessed unparalleled mobilizing capabilities for winning the first post-Mubarak parliamentary and presidential elections. Yet the Brotherhoods hierarchical organizational culture, in which dissenters are banished and critics are viewed as enemies of Islam, bred exclusivism. This alienated many Egyptians, including many within Egypts state institutions. The Brotherhoods insularity also prevented its leaders from recognizing how quickly the country was slipping from their grasp, leaving hundreds of thousands of Muslim Brothers entirely unprepared for the brutal crackdown that followed Morsis overthrow. Trager concludes with an assessment of the current state of Egyptian politics and examines the Brotherhoods prospects for reemerging.