ABSTRACT
This chapter first outlines the theme of the book, the coexistence of war, revolution and instability with the resilience of regimes and the persistence of the states system. It considers various manifestations of and explanations for this puzzle. The approach of the book is identified: states and the states system are seen to co-constitute each other, and hence cannot be examined in isolation; there are not only these two levels interacting but rather multiple levels: the global, regional, domestic and trans-state. Then an overview of the studies is presented, arranged in major themes: historical context, state-Building and politics in MENA; State Actors, societal context and popular activism; the trans-state contexts—identity and political economy; and the international relations of the region.
