ABSTRACT
This chapter examines to what extent there was a solid political and social basis within urban life that could support, or demand, an active local rule which might serve the population's needs. A number of indicators suggest that many parts of the West Bank, in fact, lacked solid social bases for vibrant municipal politics and an active local government. To begin with, education was not well advanced in the area; for, even if educational levels were higher on the West Bank than on the East Bank, they were not particularly good, with the literacy rate estimated at approximately 35 per cent. Moreover, there was an uneven development of modern communications and, subsequently, a relatively fragile technical medium for mass political mobilization and participation in local affairs. Unlike most other cities, Jerusalem was especially concerned to preserve and cultivate a political personality and develop a national role within the Jordanian governmental system.
