This paper will present a brief history of modern Egyptian-American relations to explain how the complicated relationship arrived at its present condition. Survey data will follow, detailing recent changes and attitudes towards the United States. The study’s results will be presented in the next section, followed by an analysis presenting relevant policy recommendations and prescriptions.

The study is based on data collected through 21 interviews with individuals, primarily based in Cairo, using open-ended questions related to their perceptions of and positions on the United States. Their responses were compared to previous survey data on Egyptian approval of the U.S. Despite research constraints, including the language barrier, the collected data serves as a valuable tool to help infer justifications behind the perspectives of Egyptian students.

The goal of this research is to fill in the gaps left by previous, quantitative research on Egyptian popular sentiment in order to provide accurate prescriptions on how the U.S. might improve its reputation in Egypt. Semi-structured interviews allow participants to express subtlety and potential change in emotion, as well as thoughts on how the U.S. could improve its perception in the country.