Reconstructing the Concept of Political Stability in Contemporary Political Thought: A Critical Study of Theoretical Approaches and Developing a Synthetic Analytical Framework

Abstract

This research examines political stability as one of the central concepts in contemporary political thought, highlighting the persistent conceptual and theoretical debates surrounding its definition and interpretation. It argues that existing political literature has largely approached political stability through fragmented and one-dimensional perspectives that emphasize regime continuity, the absence of violence, institutional effectiveness, or political legitimacy in isolation. Such approaches have proven insufficient to explain the multidimensional nature of political stability, particularly within fragile and transitional political systems.

The research aims to reconstruct the concept of political stability through a critical analysis of the major theoretical approaches and their explanatory limitations, ultimately proposing an integrative analytical framework that combines institutional effectiveness, political legitimacy, societal acceptance, and the security dimension as mutually reinforcing determinants of political stability. To achieve this objective, the research employs a descriptive-analytical approach supported by conceptual analysis and comparative methodology to examine both classical and contemporary political literature.

The findings demonstrate that political stability should not be understood merely as the absence of violence or the continuity of political authority. Rather, it constitutes a dynamic process shaped by the interaction between effective institutions, legitimate political authority, societal participation and acceptance, and the state's capacity to manage conflict within a legal and institutional framework. The research's principal contribution lies in developing an integrative theoretical framework that transcends the limitations of one-dimensional interpretations and offers a more comprehensive analytical model for understanding political stability, particularly in fragile states and contemporary political systems. This framework contributes to enriching Arabic political science literature and provides a foundation for future comparative and empirical research.