Ideological and Strategic Influences on Hezbollah\u27s Decisions to Deliver Social Service Provisions

Hezbollah is a unique organization that acts as a transnational group, an insurgent group and a major political party in Lebanon. Since the founding of Hezbollah, they have found social service provisions to be an important aspect of their organization and have had immense control over the territory, acting as a state within the state of Lebanon. Hezbollah offers an organizational structure, a conflict resolution mechanism, healthcare, education and much more to their primarily Shi\u27a constituents, however to other sects as well. My master\u27s thesis seeks to examine the reasons that Hezbollah does offer these social service provisions. Through the lens of rebel governance, I hypothesize that it is for both strategic and ideological reasons. I then provide an empirical analysis of my hypothesis, using evidence of what Hezbollah does, their leadership, historical reasoning and statements