ABSTRACT
The president became unchallengeable. His ruling party, the Arab Socialist Union (ASU), became the chief vehicle of civilian political life, and it became impossible to advance politically or professionally without being an ASU member. Nasserist politicians and their security networks easily cornered the new president politically. Nasser and the Free Officers inherited an underdeveloped, colonial economy in 1952 that had been structured to serve Europe's markets. Nasser also built masterfully on decades of Arab nationalist sentiment, thought, and education. The nationalization of the canal in 1956 allowed Nasser to build a new political regime. Egypt is located in the northeast corner of the African continent, at the crossroads of North Africa (Maghrib), the eastern Mediterranean (Mashriq), and the Arab Gulf (Khalij). Islamism, particularly as defined by the Arab world's largest Islamist group, the Muslim Brotherhood, was revived during Sadat's presidency.
