From Crisis to Reform: Understanding the Structural Barriers to Governance and Democracy in Lebanon

Abstract

This paper analyses Lebanons worsening economic and political crises in the light of its long-standing sectarian regime of power-sharing. Focusing on historical analysis, it contends that the confessional setup—solidified under the National Pact of 1943 and the Taif Agreement of 1989—has institutionalized division, handicapped reform, and eroded democratic governance. Tracing the trajectory of such dynamics, the study emphasizes the way economic inequities, foreign political pressure, and large-scale corruption have exacerbated systemic breakdown. Furthermore, it analyses the implications of the latter stagnation on the legitimacy of the state, trust among citizens, and societal cohesion. The paper ends with an identification of structural and processual reforms that are needed if Lebanon is to revamp credible institutions and step towards wider political accountability and citizen participation.