Includes bibliographical references (pages [261]-278) and index.

1. Hybrid regimes and Arab democracy -- 2. Liberal constitutionalism : preserving and adapting Egypt's liberal tradition -- 3. Islamic constitutionalism : the political goals of moderate Islam -- 4. The decline of statism and the convergence of political alternatives -- 5. Economic restructuring and the rise of market liberalism -- 6. Liberalism, Islam, and Egypt's political future.

In this insightful analysis, Rutherford examines the political landscape of Egypt following the 2011 revolution that ousted President Hosni Mubarak. Drawing from in-depth interviews with Egyptian judges, lawyers, Islamic activists, politicians, and businesspeople, as well as major court rulings and political documents of the Muslim Brotherhood, he explores the evolving dynamics between secularists and Islamists. Rutherford argues that these groups may navigate a middle path that results in a uniquely Islamic form of liberalism and, potentially, democracy. He contends that while progress toward liberalism and democracy is likely to be slow, Egypt's reformers are laying the groundwork for a more liberal political order.