The Introduction of Cash Transfers As an Instance of Policy Transfer: The Case of Egypt.

In this study, I treat the introduction of unconditional and conditional cash transfer schemes (CCTs) in Egypt as an instance of policy transfer. The adoption of these schemes reflects the diffusion of such policy tool through the mechanism of emulation, as well as other mechanisms such as direct and indirect coercion, without a proper consideration to the national contexts to which these programs are being imported/exported. I pay a specific attention to the role of policy entrepreneurs as well as International Financial Institutions (IFIs) that play a multifaceted role in the diffusion of this policy instrument. The significance of the Egyptian case stems from the conditions under which CCTs have been adopted. First, the introduction of CCTs came as part of an aggressive welfare retrenchment that was in itself part of a broader economic reform program which was applied by an authoritarian regime and under the auspices of IFIs. Second, the reinstitution of authoritarianism and the utilization of intensified repression facilitated the formation of an alliance that was composed of national policy makers, national and international experts, and IFIs where such coalition seized this window of opportunity to introduce major changes to the structure of the Egyptian welfare state. Utilizing a within case study approach and a process tracing method, I try to document the role of ideas, and their interaction with other explanatory factors, in explaining the introduction of CCTs, as well as other welfare reforms, in the Egyptian case.