Democracy Redefined: Michel Chiha and the Lebanese Constitution

Chibli Mallat

Book

Democracy Redefined

Michel Chiha and the Lebanese Constitution

Chibli Mallat

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2026

Published by

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About this book

Presents a radically new definition of majoritarian democracy

Redefines democracy as the effective representation of members of historically subordinate groups
Brings together several disciplines, including history, law, political science and political philosophy in a challenge to the received view of majoritarian democracy
Investigates Lebanese and Middle Eastern constitutionalism since the 17th century, including newly researched archives
Provides a detailed analysis of the genesis of the Lebanese Constitution of 1926 through unprecedented access to the archives of its main drafter, Michel Chiha
Develops a comparative and theoretical investigation of democracy in the light of the tension between its majoritarian essence and the effective representation of members of historically subordinate groups

At a time when democratic government is under attack, Chibli Mallat offers a new definition of democracy: the necessary representation in government of citizens as 'members of historically subordinate groups', a concept first opened up by Michel Chiha (1891-1954) during his drafting of the Lebanese Constitution of 1926. The book rests on two main research pillars: the first is a detailed historical and institutional examination of Levantine and Lebanese institutions, drawing on dozens of 19th and 20th century documents, including Chiha’s constitutional papers. With unprecedented access to the Chiha Archive, Mallat constructs a world vision of Chiha through his writings and political positions which act as the background to his constitutional contributions. The second pillar examines the success and failures of an enduring Lebanese Constitution to advance this radically new view of majoritarian democracy, based on extensive research in political science and in constitutional law.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Expanded Table of Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
List of Tables Publicly Available Download PDF	xi
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	xii
Acknowledgements Publicly Available Download PDF	xv
Transliteration Publicly Available Download PDF	xviii
Abbreviations and Chiha-related Primary Sources Publicly Available Download PDF	xix
1 Orientation: Two Centuries of Institutional Communalism in Lebanon Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	1
PART ONE COMMUNALISM AND THE BIRTH OF ELECTIONS
2 The Birth of Representative Communalism: From Simqaniyya (1697) to the Beirut Consultative Council (1834) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	15
3 The Entrenchment of Communalism and the Birth of the Electoral Principle (1840–1920) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	42
PART TWO THE LEBANESE CONSTITUTION OF 1926
4 The Constitution of 1926: Reconstructing the Timeline Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	75
5 The Constitution of 1926: Structure and Inspiration Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	110
6 Building Constitutional Blocks: The Communitarian Straitjacket Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	141
7 Building Constitutional Blocks: Modern Constitutionalism Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	163
PART THREE CHIHA AFTER THE CONSTITUTION
8 The Constitution Undermined Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	195
9 Chiha’s Worldview Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	222
10 Chiha’s Nation Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	251
PART FOUR CONSTITUTIONALISM AND GROUP REPRESENTATION
11 Lebanese Constitutionalism and the Political-Theological Middle East Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	277
12 Constitutional Frontiers: The Lebanese Constitution and the World Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	307
13 Democracy Redefined Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	330
14 Epilogue Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	361
General Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	365
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	383

Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

October 31, 2025

eBook ISBN:

9781399552714

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

Main content:

416

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781399552714

eBook ISBN: 9781399552714

Keywords for this book

IMES

Audience(s) for this book

For universities and colleges of further and higher education

Democracy Redefined

Overview

About this book

Topics

Table of contents

Bibliographic data