How can a deeply pluralistic society build a strong state without sacrificing the diversity that defines it?
Through a rigorous examination of President Fouad Chehab’s years in office and the political philosophy that came to be known as Chehabism, Simon Kachar
revisits one of the most consequential experiments in state-building in modern Lebanese history. Moving beyond nostalgia and conventional political biography, the book presents Chehabism as a practical approach to governance rooted in the Constitution, strong institutions, citizenship, social justice, balanced development, and respect for Lebanon’s pluralistic character.
Drawing on extensive research, comparative analysis, historical sources, and interviews with those who knew or worked closely with Chehab, Kachar explores
how a president governing a country marked by sectarian divisions, political patronage, regional inequality, and competing external influences sought to strengthen the state and bring it closer to its citizens.
The book also looks beyond Chehab’s presidency to examine the Taif Agreement, the constitutional role of the presidency, and the continuing struggle to reconcile pluralism with national unity. At its heart lies a question that remains as urgent today as it was in Chehab’s time: How can Lebanon build a state capable of protecting both its unity and its diversity?
More than a study of the past, this book offers a framework for thinking about Lebanon’s future. It returns to Chehab’s enduring principle of governance: when
politics become uncertain, return to the “Book”, the Constitution, the law, and the institutions of the state.
Author: Simon A. Kachar
Language: English
Series: Lebanon Series
Subject: History
Number of Pages: 296
Book Dimensions: 19 x 26 cm
Cover Type: Paper Cover
ISBN: 9786144920350
Shipping Weight: 0.800 kg
