Author(s)

Frederick Betz

Institute for Policy Models, Enumclaw, WA. USA.

This is the second paper (of four) analyzing the failure of the Syrian state. Four papers have been required because of the complicated sequence of events in the history of Syria: 1) from territory from the Ottoman Empire to European colonial states, 2) to independent states, 3) to a near collapse under a terrorist caliphate, and 4) to refugee impacts on its former colonial occupiers. In this historical sequence, we are testing the validity of the modern theory of political association. In the previous paper of Part 1, we constructed this formal theory as a 3-D taxonomy of political association, which we used to analyze why the state of Syria failed in a vicious civil war (Betz, 2019). The history of modern Syria began at the end of the Ottoman Empire, from which the modern Middle East states were carved. Because of the complex details of the government of Syria after independence, we here review these events as a second paper, Part 2. This paper continues using the methodology of grounding social science theory upon historical studies.

Civilization, Failed States, Political Theory, Middle East, Colonialism

Betz, F. (2020) Political Theory of Societal Association: Case of the Failed State of Syria—Part 2. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 8, 504-529. doi: 10.4236/jss.2020.86038.