A Historical-Structural Understanding of Political Decay

Abstract

The past few years have seen severe political decay in a number of countries across the world, having attracted wide attention from the international community. While existing research has delved into the causes of political decay from both internal and external perspectives, there has been a notable lack of attention given to the disproportionate influence wielded by armed forces, political parties, and bureaucrats. Taking the case of Egypt as an example, we demonstrate how the interplay between the military, parties and bureaucrats created a stable nexus that contributes to prolonged political decay. Furthermore, we draw comparisons between the well-known case of civil–military relations in Thailand and that of Egypt, highlighting how the social cognition forged in the historical process may contribute to the political power imbalance that makes it difficult for some countries to escape political decline. This research provides novel insights into understanding political decay in certain countries, shedding light on the complex dynamics at play and offering potential avenues for addressing this pressing issue.