The society of the Muslim Brothers: an islamist political party?; participation in a confined political system

Abstract

The article analyzes the Society of the Muslim Brothers and its activity in Egypt, since its emergence in 1928, until the end of Muhammad Mursi's presidency, in June 2012. The study proves, by using empirical analysis of primary and secondary sources as well as quantitative analysis, that the Society comprises the dimensions of a political party present in the existent literature. Based on the premise that the Brotherhood emerged as a religious fundamentalist mass party, gradually evolved into an electoralist catch-all party and, by taking advantage of the opportunity posed by the 2011 revolution, initiated a cartelization process, the article coins the factors that influenced the metamorphosis of the group from one party-type to another and the causes that impeded the completion of the process.