ABSTRACT
By the 1970s, radical-nationalism as both an alternative ideology and a specific policy framework had declined in appeal and viability, though it remained an attractive, if unrealistic, option for many. The radical-nationalist regimes essentially became institutionalized—that is, their domestic and foreign policies became more cautious, their focus shifted from revolutionary ideals to the more mundane task of governing and maintaining their power, they sought to stabilize their countries to prevent a repeat of the previous decades (when instability, coups, and countercoups were the norm), and there was a growing acceptance of the regional interstate system and the status quo (with the notable exceptions of Iraq and Libya). Today, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, there is only one radical-nationalist state left: Syria. But even it is not radical in the sense of the 1950s and 1960s.
