Emerging Pattern Of Political Leadership

Patterns of Political Leadership is a study of political leaders in one of the world's most volatile areas—the Middle East. It focuses on the highest levels of political leadership in three countries—Egypt, Israel and Lebanon. Within a cross-national framework the three elite groups are analyzed both aggregately and over time, in terms of recruitment, circulation, social background, and behavioral characteristics. Theoretical and methodological problems of equivalence and comparability are confronted and a number of hypotheses advanced regarding elite characteristics, many of which are expected to shape internal and external policies of the three countries. The Israeli and Egyptian groups are analyzed as elites in confrontation, enabling the reader to acquire new insights on the Arab-Israeli conflict. The specific leaders under study are those of cabinet level and higher rank—totalling more than 400 individuals. In each polity the unique characteristics of the leadership are explicated in considerable detail. In Lebanon, the linkages between the political and economic elites are explored, as these relate to that country's commercial centrality in the Arab world. The phenomena of za'imism and dynastic power receive particular attention, as do the dynamics of sectarian politics in this most unique Middle Eastern democracy. The Israeli political leadership is studied from both socializational and behavioral perspectives. The process of elite formation is analyzed against a background of European persecution and the emerging garrison democracy in Palestine. An attempt has been made to gauge the impact of the October 1973 War on the Israeli elite and the concomitant transfer of power to a younger generation of leaders. The Egyptian political leadership is studied in the Nasir-Sadat milieu characterized by a blending of charisma and military rule. Particular attention is given to the formative forces and events that shaped the behavior of modern Egypt's elite. President Sadat's efforts to defeat the Ali Sabri coalition is presented in detail as is Sadat's dramatic ascendance after the relative success of Egyptian arms in October 1973. The final chapter presents a comparative assessment of the three elite contingents. A number of contrasts and similarities emerge regarding elite recruitment, political culture, education, tenure, age, representativeness, and integration. Changes in elite composition and efficiency are related to systemic stability and the future configuration of the Arab-Israeli conflict itself. The author concludes that recent fundamental changes in the composition and orientations of Egyptian and Israeli leaders are likely to improve the prospects for peace in the Middle East.

This book comprehensively describes the impact of modern technologies on political leadership by providing a new paradigm of the phenomenon of neo-leadership, that is political leadership oriented on creating both the image and political influence on the Internet. It examines its functioning in the new media environment and identifies the most important transforming trends, taking into account their impact on political and social relations in an era of dynamic technological development. Systematically exploring various dimensions of leadership, it presents new notions relevant in a networked world where leaders are created and conduct themselves against the backdrop of a technological revolution, including the development of AI, automation, algorithms and ultrafast networks, all of which strengthen or disrupt their impact and create a new set of virtual authorities exerting an increasing impact on society, ethical considerations and political life and requiring new methods for study. This book will be of key interest to scholars, students and practitioners of leadership and elite studies, media and communication studies, political marketing, political science, international relations; public policy, and sociology.

"The original ideas ... were first presented ... at the Political Studies Association (PSA) Annual Conference at the University of Swansea in 2012."--Page v.

Study of the relationship between the characteristics of governing elites and inter-state conflict in the Middle East.