ABSTRACT
Scholars and policy-makers frequently assume that the new states must develop stability before they can hope to operate the complex and delicate institutions of liberal democracy. Lebanon’s representative institutions are an essential condition of its stability, not a lucky byproduct. This relationship, of course, has not gone unnoticed by Lebanon’s politicians. If the political system becomes capable of handling the demands and more responsible to the people in general, then it will threaten the existing democratic values that are a product of the balance of power among autonomous traditional groups. Lebanon’s traditional pluralism has given rise to a political process analogous to the classic international balance-of-power system. An important supporting institution for confessionalism in the parliamentary elections is the list system. Voters in each district are obliged to elect several deputies, usually including some of a confession different from their own.
