Politics & Governance / Domestic Politics / Political Parties & Movements

How Street Protests Crushed Egypt's Elite: The Arab Spring Economy Exposed

Daron Acemoglu, Tarek A. Hassan, Ahmed Tahoun

Imagine a protest that doesn't just topple a dictator—it wipes out billions in stock value. This video unpacks a landmark study from The Review of Financial Studies by Daron Acemoglu, Tarek A. Hassan, and Ahmed Tahoun, revealing how Egypt's Arab Spring proved that street power can slash political rents. We break down how 500,000 protesters in Tahrir Square caused a 0.8% drop in regime-linked stocks, why Twitter hype didn't move markets but physical marches did, and how this challenges the idea that protests just reshuffle elites. No jargon, just mind-blowing evidence that the street is the ultimate check on corruption. Watch to see why economic power isn't just in boardrooms—it's on the pavement.