This book explores the origins, foundations, impact and stability of Arab states. It analyses the process of stabilisation amongst the Arab states, a process that has contradicted all predictions of impending disintegration and political collapse.

Introduction 1. Arab Bureaucracies: Expanding Size, Changing Roles 2. Political Parties in the Arab State: Libya, Syria, Egypt 3. Opposition as Support of the State 4. Professional Associations and National Integration in the Arab World, with Special Reference to Lawyers Associations 5. Arab Military in Politics: From Revolutionary Plot to Authoritarian State 6. Role of Religious Institutions in Support of the State 7. Social Structure and Political Stability: Comparative Evidence from the Algerian, Syrian and Iraqi Cases 8. Social Transformation and Political Power in the Radical Arab States 9. Limits of Ruling Elites: Autonomy in Comparative Perspective 10. Class and the State in Rural Arab Communities 11. Arab Regimes: Legitimacy and Foreign Policy 12. Conclusion: Reasons for Resilience