The decline of socialism in Lebanon : the birth of private welfare providers

Abstract

The Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation in Lebanon, commonly known as Tashnag, are two organizations that are highlighted specifically in this thesis' examination of the phenomena of social democratic parties' downfall. Since its independence, confessional politics have molded Lebanon's political landscape, with a consociational structure that gives representation to the nation's 18 minority groups. Political parties in Lebanon were generally based on non-sectarian ideas before the civil war in 1975, however this thesis emphasizes the change in party politics that has taken place throughout time. The study uses a multi-method approach to analyze studies on the PSP and Tashnag to determine what circumstances, such as leadership changes and the influence of the Lebanese civil war as an external shock, led to their ideological transition. This study aims to advance knowledge of the factors influencing the ideological development of leftist parties in various political systems by examining the decline of social democratic parties in Lebanon within the context of confessional politics and taking into account the experiences of the Progressive Socialist Party and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.