Democracy Redefined: Michel Chiha and the Lebanese Constitution

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 19t...