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Ahmed Discusses Egyptian Constitution on WGBY

Assistant Professor Amel Ahmed was a featured guest on WGBY's Connecting Point television show on January 22, 2013. The episode explored the current state of Egypt after passage of that country's new Constitution.

Amhed, who recently returned from Egypt, reports that the country was relatively and surprisingly calm immediately following the passage of the new constitution. This quietness was unexpected given the contentious discussions surrounding the Constitution prior to the vote. 

The consequences of a failed Constitution were too much for people to imagine, Ahmed says. Most people recognized that the Constitution was a flawed document, but it was also the first step toward building a true democracy. 

That said, Ahmed reports that the country remains quite polarized. This polarization, however, is a part of the electoral process.

Ahmed further explores the role of democratization in her new book, Democracy and the Politics of Electoral System Choice. Although the book does not focus on Egypt, Ahmed's theoretical framework offers insights into how we can understand the dynamics of democratic development in today's emerging democracies. 

To watch the complete episode, visit WGBY's website.

 

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  • Faculty News