Following the 2011 uprisings in many Middle Eastern states, academics were quick to discuss these events within the context of Huntington’s “Third Wave” of democratization (Sarihan 2012). The problem with connecting the third wave of democratization to the Arab Spring, in terms of Egypt, is the assumption that the 2011 uprising against Mubarak was about democracy. The demands of the Revolution were bread, freedom, and social justice. The majority of the population was not asking for democracy, at least not as a primary concern. After conducting over 170 interviews in Egypt between June and December 2013, I find that the 2011 uprising was less about democracy and more about the economy and social justice. While a small number of media savvy activists well versed in democratic theory proclaimed that they were fighting for democracy, this did not mean that the millions on the streets were fighting for the exact same cause. We must recognize the difference between the statements of organized groups with limited membership, such as the April 6th Youth Movement, and the demands of the general population. In fact, from my interviews I find that the average Egyptian has neither a procedural nor institutional understanding of democracy. Most Egyptians’ definition was limited to freedom of opinion. Additionally, the demand for freedom in the abstract sense does not necessarily equate with democracy.