Foreword by Naseer Aruru; Introduction: Political Development and the Transition to Democracy; The Palestinian National Movement: A Historical Overview; The Palestinians Awaken to a Crushing Defeat; From Dispersion to Taking the Initiative ; The PLO: From Maximalism to Compromise; The Oslo Accords and the Establishment of the Palestinian National Authority; Democracy and Centralism in the Palestinian National Movement, 1967--1993; Arafat's Control of PLO Institutions, 1968--1993; Pluralism, Civil Society, and the Construction of Institutions among the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, 1967--1993; The Formal Structure of Powers in the Palestinian National Authority; The Legislative Council; The Executive Authority; The Judicial Authority; The First Palestinian General Elections; The Legitimacy of the Elections; The Election System; The Election Campaign; The Election Results; The Centralisation of Power and Political Conduct in the PNA; Centralisation of Power Surveillance (Intimidation); Buying Quiet (Bribery); Conclusion: Contradictions within Palestinian Democracy; Palestinian Partial Democracy' Before the Establishment of the PNA; Partial Democracy' in the PNA; Conclusions for the Future.