Lebanon. Series of articles on politics. Studies Lebanese society, economy and economic development. Impact of the maronite Church on the political system. Political leadership. Social structure. Government and political parties. Public administration. International relations. Political problems and change. Partly historical. References.

The author considers the transformation of Lebanese feudalism into a communal system with burgeoning national consciousness. He places particular emphasis on the conflict between institutions and on the impact of nonpolitical organizations on the political system. Originally published in 1968. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

This text traces the social and political development of Syria and Lebanon from the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire to the present day. Written by a number of specialists and scholars, it offers a comparative study by means of concentration on major turning-points in the modern history of both countries. The book opens with the foundation of the first modern Arab government in 1919 and ends with an analysis of the Syrian-Lebanese co-operation treaty. Based on new research data and offering original approaches, the book should be a useful addition to literature on both Lebanon and Syria.