Abstract:
The Syrian civil war had started to increasingly emanate in 2011 when the Arab
spring was rising. Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, tried to sustain his power
amidst demanding protests among societies. However, the way he managed
conflicts reflects his limitation as a political actor struggling to uphold
authoritarian resilience. This study tests the paradox of power by analyzing
Bashar al-Assad's idiosyncrasy implemented during the period of 2018 to 2024
affecting the fall of his long-standing centralized control in Syria. It utilizes a
qualitative approach employing data triangulation in order to ensure the validity
of each finding. This study proves the significant role of idiosyncrasy for the fall of
power. Besides applying Idiosyncrasy Credit Theory and Authoritarian
Leadership Theory, this research does adapt an individual level of analysis which
examines Assad’s personality and decision in shaping perseverance and erosion of
his domination. The findings underline interaction between individual actors and
structural factors in forming state dynamics. Ultimately, this study contributes to
a broad and deep understanding of authoritarian leadership on how personalized
power does not only function to sustain a leader's domination, it can even
undermine ruler’s control massively.
