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PSPA256 Syllabus Spring 2016

The course PSPA 256 at the American University of Beirut, taught by Prof. Hassan Krayem, focuses on Lebanese politics, covering both historical and modern aspects of the Lebanese state system. It is designed for advanced senior students with some prior knowledge of the subject and includes a mix of required readings, class discussions, and assessments. The course outline spans various topics from the 19th century to contemporary issues, culminating in a final term paper.

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PSPA256 Syllabus Spring 2016

The course PSPA 256 at the American University of Beirut, taught by Prof. Hassan Krayem, focuses on Lebanese politics, covering both historical and modern aspects of the Lebanese state system. It is designed for advanced senior students with some prior knowledge of the subject and includes a mix of required readings, class discussions, and assessments. The course outline spans various topics from the 19th century to contemporary issues, culminating in a final term paper.

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rasboutin1
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT

PSPA 256 Politics in Lebanon


Prof. Hassan Krayem
Spring 2016
E-mail: [email protected]

This course is designed to introduce advanced senior students to the


study of Lebanese politics. It deals, mainly, with the modern Lebanese state
system. However, some necessary historical background is provided
especially in the 19th century. The course emphasizes political developments
as well as socio-economic developments in modern Lebanon.

It is recommended that senior students taking this course should have


some basic knowledge of the Lebanese state system as well as some
knowledge of the most prominent events and forces. Students should be
able to participate actively in class discussion. There will be a reader for this
course, which is drawn from several books and journal articles, and is
available at Ghali Copy Center. There will be a weekly reading of about 50
pages. In addition, a list of recommended books will be provided.

Basic Required Texts:

1. Halim Barakat (ed.) Toward a viable Lebanon. (1988)


2. Leonard Binder (ed.) Politics in Lebanon. (1966)
3. Marwan Buheiry. Beirut's Role in the Economy of the French Mandate:
1919-1939.
4. Carolyn Gates. A) The Merchant Republic of Lebanon: Rise of an
Open Economy (1998).
5. B) The Historical Role of Political Economy in the
Development of Modern Lebanon, (1989).
6. Albert Hourani. A. Political Society in Lebanon: A Historical
Introduction
7. B. Syria and Lebanon: a Political Essay.

8. Samir Makdisi. Political Conflict and Economic Performance in Lebanon,


1975-86.
9. Roger Owen (ed.) Essays on the Crisis in Lebanon.
10. Tabitha Petran, “The Shehab experiment: the Failure of Reform”, in The
Struggle Over Lebanon.
11. Elizabeth Picard, Lebanon: A Shattered Country.
12. Kamal Salibi, Lebanon and the Middle Eastern Question.
13. Nasser Saidi, Economic Consequences of the war in Lebanon.
14. Nadim Shehadi and Dana Mills Haffar (eds.) Lebanon: a History of
Conflict and Consensus.

Articles:

1. Chibli Mallat, "A New Constitution for Lebanon Examining Ways to


Institutional Normalization.”
2. Salim Nasr, "The Crisis of Lebanese Capitalism". MERIP, no 73, 1978.
3. Augustus Richard Norton, "Lebanon After Taif: Is the Civil War Over?"
Middle East Journal v. 45, no. 3, summer 1991.
4. Elie Chalala, Syrian Policy in Lebanon. 1976-1984. Journal of Arab Affairs,
v. 1, no. 1, spring 1985.
5. Farid el-Khazen. The Communal Pact of National Identities.
6. Middle East Report no. 203, spring 1997.
7. Yousef al-Khalil. Economic Developments in Lebanon since 1982. Beirut
Review, no.3.
8. Joseph Maila. The Document of National Understanding: A Commentary.
Oxford, Center for Lebanese Studies, 1992.
9. Hassan Krayem. “The Lebanese Civil War and the Taif Agreement” in Paul
Salem (ed), Conflict Resolution in the Arab World: Selected Essays.
(Beirut, American University of Beirut, 1997) pp. 411-435.
10 Shields, Vanessa E., (2008) Political Reform in Lebanon: Has the Cedar
Revolution Failed? The Journal of Legislative Studies, 14:4, 474-487.
11 Kurtulus, Ersun N., (2009) The Cedar Revolution: Lebanese Independence
and the Question of Collective Self Determination. British Journal of the
Middle Eastern Studies, 36:2, 195-214.

Additional references are available in the Library, in addition to the


mentioned required and recommended readings

1. Haley and Snider (eds.) Lebanon in Crisis: Participants and Issues.


2. Wade R. Goria, Sovereignty and Leadership in Lebanon 1943-1976.
3. Itamar Rabinovich, The War For Lebanon 1970-1985.
4. Marius Deeb, The Lebanese Civil war.
5. Meir Zamir, The Formation of Modern Lebanon.
6. Kamal Salibi, Crossroads to Civil War: Lebanon 1958-1976
7. Helena Cobban, The Making of Modern Lebanon.
8. Halim Barakat, Lebanon in Strife.
9. Dilip Hiro, Fire and Embers.
10. Kamal Salibi, Modern History of Lebanon
11. Fawaz Traboulsi, A History of Modern Lebanon.
12. Youssef M Choueiri, Breaking the Cycle: Civil wars in Lebanon

Final Grade:
Class discussion and Participation 10%
Mid-term Exam 45%
Final Term Paper (12-15 pages) 45%

Course Outline:
Week 1 (Wednesday 27 January 2016) Introduction

Week 2 (03 February 2016) Historical background: 19th century's


political developments.
Required readings:
 Picard, chs. 1-2, pp. 1-22.
 Hourani (A) all
 Shehadi, pp. 3-13, {Kamal Salibi “The Historical Perspective”] and
pp.79-100, [Engin Deniz Akarli “The Administrative Council of Mount
Lebanon”]
Recommended:
 Fawaz Traboulsi, A History of Modern Lebanon.

Week 3 (10 February) 19th century socio-economic developments


Required readings:
 Owen, pp. 1-22, [Paul Saba “The Creation of the Lebanese Economy”]
 Gates (A), chapter 2, pp.12-34
 Gates (B), all.
Recommended:
 Ilya Harik, Politics and Change in a Traditional Society
 Samir Khalaf, Persistence and Change in 19th Century Lebanon
 Kamal Salibi, Modern History of Lebanon

Week 4 (17 February). Grand Liban: 1920-1943.


Required readings:
 Shehadi, pp. 101-123, [John Spagnolo “Franco-British Rivalry in the
Middle East and its Operation on the Lebanese Problem”] and pp. 149-
165 [Raghid Solh,”The Attitude of the Arab Nationalists towards
Greater Lebanon During the 1930s”]
 Owen, pp. 23-32, [”The Political Economy of Grand Liban, 1920-1970]
 Buheiry, all
 Binder, pp. 69-83, [Charles Issawi “Economic Development and Political
Liberalism in Lebanon”]
 Picard, chs.3-4, pp.23-48.

Week 5 (24 February). The National Pact of 1943 and Independence


Required readings:
 Khazen, all
 Hourani (B), pp. 279-307
 Picard, chapter 6, pp. 63-76.
 Recommended:
 Mass'ud Daher, Lubnan, al- Istiqla, al-seegha wal Mithaq (Arabic)

Week 6 (02 March). The 1958 Crisis


Required readings:
 Barakat, pp. 187-209, [Irene Gendzier “The Declassified Lebanon
1948-1958: Elements of Continuity and Contrast in US Policy Toward
Lebanon”]
 Binder, pp. 85-105 [Arnold Hottinger “Zu’ama in Historical
Perspective”]
 Recommended:
 Fahim I. Qubain, Crisis in Lebanon

Weeks 7 (09 March). Shehabism


Required readings:
 Petran, PP. 50 - 64
 Picard, chapter 5, pp. 49-61.
Recommended:
 Michael Hudson, The Precarious Republic: Political Modernization in
Lebanon

Week 8 (16 March) Mid-term Examination

Week 9 (23 March) Internal actors and the Civil War


Required readings:
 Shehadi, 258-274 [Georges Corm “Myths and Realities of the
Lebanese Conflict”]
 Nasr article “The Crisis of Lebanese Capitalism”
 Barakat, pp. 27-41 [Roger Owen “The Economic History of Lebanon
1943-1974: Its Salient Features”]
Recommended:
 Claude Dubar & Salim Nasr, al-Tabakat al-Ijtimai'ia fi Lubnan, (Arabic)
pp. (11-121& 353-366)

Week 10 (30 March) Palestinians role and the Civil War


Required readings:
 Barakat, pp.133-159, Rashid Khalidi “The Palestinians in Lebanon”,

Weeks 11 (06 April) External (Regional) Factors


Required readings:
 Najib Saliba “Syrian-Lebanese Relations”
 Salibi (B) [“Lebanon and the Middle East Question”];
 Chalala “Syrian Policy in Lebanon, 1976-1984: Moderate Goals and
Pragmatic Means” Journal of Arab Affairs, #1, spring 1985, pp. 67-
87.
Recommended:
 Walid Khalidi, Conflict and Violence in Lebanon
 Tabitha Petran, The Struggle Over Lebanon, pp. 185-292

Week 12 (13 April) Impact of the Civil War


Required readings:
 Barakat, pp. 324-335;
 Saidi, “Economic Consequences of the war in Lebanon”
 Makdisi, “Political Conflict and Economic Performance in Lebanon,
1975-86”
 El Khalil, Yousef, “Economic Developments in Lebanon since 1982.
Beirut Review, no.3.
Recommended:
 Mina Tokosoz, The Lebanon Conflict: Political Shifts, Regional Impact
and Economic Outlook

Week 13 (20 April). The National Reconciliation Agreement (Ta’if


Accord in practice)
Required readings:
 Mallat, “A New Constitution for Lebanon Examining Ways to
Institutional Normalization.”
 Norton, "Lebanon After Ta’if: Is the Civil War Over?" Middle East
Journal v. 45, no. 3, summer 1991.
 Ta’if Accord and the New Constitution, Beirut Review, vol. 1, no. 1,
pp. 122-160
 Maila, Josef “The Document of National Understanding: A
Commentary”
 Hassan Krayem. “The Lebanese Civil War and the Taif Agreement”
 Middle East Report, spring 1997, pp. 16-30.

Week 14 (27 April). Independence 2005


Required Readings:
 Shields, Vanessa E., (2008) Political Reform in Lebanon: Has the
Cedar Revolution Failed? The Journal of Legislative Studies, 14:4,
474-487.
 Kurtulus, Ersun N., (2009) The Cedar Revolution: Lebanese
Independence and the Question of Collective Self Determination.
British Journal of the Middle Eastern Studies, 36:2, 195-214.

Week 15 (04 May) Final Term paper submitted electronically.

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