ABSTRACT
When Nasser died, the polity lost its most stable and stabilizing element. Nasser's personal charisma had provided a major support for the regime. His skills in political juggling had enabled him to balance the divergent elements of the coalition of interests that state capitalism had created. His death left a turbulent political scene and an uncertain political future. Two interpretations of Nasser's legacy have been offered by traditional political scientists — the societal and the charismatic. Both lead to essentially the same conclusion — Nasser's legacy was a guarantee of instability. 1 The societal argument can be summarized as follows: ‘Unincorporated society creates the conditions of personal power. Personal power demands constant juggling. Constant juggling blocks the formation of durable political groups and consistent policy. Power is dissipated and the“unincorporated”nature of society is reinforced.’ 2 The charismatic argument can be summarized as follows: ‘The charismatic relationship is a direct relationship between leader and followers. The direct relationship renders intermediaries (organizations or individuals) unnecessary. The failure to institutionalize power returns politics to the pre-charismatic pattern once the leader is removed.’ 3
