Mapai in Israel: Political Organisation and Government in a New Society

This work explains how Mapai governed Israel from 1948 to 1969 when it became a partner to the Israeli Labour Party.

Peter Y. Medding (Author)

9780521144513, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 24 June 2010

340 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm, 0.5 kg

This 1972 work explains how Mapai governed Israel from 1948 to 1969 when it gave up its independent identity to become a major partner to the newly formed Israeli Labour Party. It analyses how Mapai's dominant role in Israeli society was built up before 1948 and how it successfully adapted itself to the changes which resulted from it becoming an independent state. Society, party and state are seen as the three main foci for this study of Mapai and the party is seen to perform the central political role of connecting the social forces within the population to the state institutions. This book demonstrates how Mapai's dominance rested upon its success in gaining the support of these social forces, including new ones that arose after 1948 as a result of immigration and socio-economic change. it also illuminates the organisational flexibility which Mapai demonstrates in incorporating these diverse and often competing groups.

Preface
1. The problem and the setting
Part I. Party and Society: the Incorporation of Diverse Social Forces: Introduction: non-competitive and competitive patterns of organisational penetration and control
2. Agricultural settlements: non-competitive organisational penetration
3. Industrial workers, artisans, and professionals: competitive penetration
4. Ethnicity, sex, religion and age: cross-cutting cleavages and attenuated penetration
Part II. Internal Party Organisation: Membership, Representation, Participation and Leadership: Introduction
5. Individual membership, branch organisation and local representative institutions
6. National representative decision making institutions: the conference, council and central committee
7. National executive institutions
8. The party machine
Part III. Party and Government: Leadership Selection, Decision Making, Institutional Control, and Succession: 9. Leadership selection and direction of parliamentary and Histadrut institution
10. Decision making
11. Depoliticisation and state integration
12. Leadership, succession and organisational maintenance: conflict, split and reunification
13. Conclusion: political organisation and political success
Selected bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP]