Introduction I. William Zartman. Contemporary Arab Regimes. Definitions of the Concept of the State. Characteristics. Static and Dynamic Theories of Stability. 1. Arab Bureaucracies: Expanding Size, Changing Roles Nazih Ayubi 1.1. Expanding Size 1.2. Expansion Described 1.3. Why the Expansion? 1.4. Role in Development 2. Political Parties in the Arab State: Libya, Syria, Egypt Raymond A. Hinnebusch 2.1. Libya: Charismatic Mobilisation from Above 2.2. Syria: Single Party in a Divided Society 2.3. Egypt: Party Adaptation to a Pluralising Society 2.4. Arab Party Systems: Differences and Similarities 3. Opposition as Support of the State I. William Zartman 3.1. Manipulated Pluralism: Morocco 3.2. Controlled Pluralism: Egypt 3.3. Emerging Pluralism: Tunisia 4. Professional Associations and National Integration in the Arab World, with Special Reference to lawyers Associations Mustapha K. El Sayed 4.1. Framework for the Study of Interest Groups and Arab Integration 4.2. Method of Study 4.3. Law Associations 4.4. Membership of Bar Associations 4.5. Purpose and Policies 4.6. Public Policies Towards Bar Associations 4.7. Arab Lawyers Union 5. Arab Military in Politics: from Revolutionary Plot to Authoritarian State Elizabeth Picard 5.1. Towards the Stabilisation of Arab Military Regimes 5.2. Armed Forces and the State 5.3. The Military and Society 5.4. Military Regimes and Economic Development 6. Role of Religious Institutions in Support of the State Sadok Belaid 6.1. General Context 6.2. Partnership: the Arabian Peninsula: Saudi Arabia 6.3. Split: the Maghreb States 6.4. Confrontation: Egypt and Sudan 7. Social Structure and Political Stability: Comparative Evidence from the Algerian, Syrian and Iraqi Cases Jean Leca 7.1. Political Stability and Social Structure: a Static Model 7.2. Social Challenges to Political Stability: the Split in the Middle Class and the Dilemmas of Redistribution 7.3. Algeria: 1962-85 7.4. The ‘Corrective’ Movement in Syria: 1970-85 7.5. Iraq: 1963-85 7.6. Conclusion: Class Society, Class Politics and Social Upheavals 8. Social Transformation and Political Power in the Radical Arab States Rashid Khalidi 8.1. Changing Ruling Elites 8.2. New and Prosperous Class 8.3. Distance Between Ruler and Ruled 9. Limits of Ruling Elites: Autonomy in Comparative Perspective Hamid Ansari 10. Class and the State in Rural Arab Communities Nicholas Hopkins 10.1. Testour (Tunisia) 10.2. Musha (Egypt) 10.3. Al-Murrah Bedouin (Saudi Arabia) 11. Arab Regimes: Legitimacy and Foreign Policy Adeed Dawisha 12. Conclusion: Reasons for Resilience Adeed Dawisha