ABSTRACT
The fall of Mubarak's three-decade-long regime in just 18 days revealed the fragility of authoritarianism and the power of mass movements. Despite early warnings from neighboring Tunisia, Mubarak and his top associates thought that Egypt was different, and that the regime was strong enough to survive popular pressures for change. Even Mubarak's external allies initially believed that “the Egyptian government [was] stable and [was] looking for ways to respond to the legitimate needs and interests of the Egyptian people.” 1 This apparent stability concealed deep-rooted crises and structural problems that had piled up for decades. Mubarak's long period of rule had generated profound feelings among Egyptians concerning their repression, poverty, and lack of social justice.
