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The classical issues on patronage (Can the various forms of patronage be subsumed under a single category? Can we contrast "dyadic clientelism" with "corporate clientelism"? What is the relation between clientelist behavior and the political economy of a given society? are not known to the specialists of an area in which the phenomenon is endemic and can be traces over an exceptionally long period of time. The first part of this article deals with the forms and meanings of patronage as it is expressed by the Arab language and the political culture(s) of the "Arab world" (even though the homogeneity of the area is debatable). The links with kinship, slavery, protection, intermediation, leadership, and honor are scrutinized. Other terms are used to designate patronage when it is related to honor or to family but to clans or malversation. The second part attempts to put patronage as a form of power within the framework of the main modes of domination prevailing in the area: traditional modes (tribal or "Khaldunian" and patrimonial, particularly the Ottoman and Mamluk forms), colonial empires and contemporary nation-states. The main features of the contemporary nation-states are outlined to contrast clientelism with modern citizenship and to emphasize the specific characteristics of the Arab political communities (importance of the international system, economic and religious; weakness of the working classes and of civil society; primacy of politics). The prospects of clientelism at local and national levels lead the authors to conclude that modernization is in no way synonymous with the decay of patronage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers literary criticism of the book "Etats et sociétés de l'Orient Arabe en quête d'avenir, 1945-2005," edited by Gérard D. Khoury and Nadine Méouchy. Topics include the changes in political structure in the Middle East, political constructions and terminology of the region, and the methodology of the work.