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The Iran Reviewusing the themes of Comparative Politics
1. Sovereignty, Authority and Powera. Political Culture -
Persian society & culture,
power of the Qajar & Safavid Dynasties, +history of
authoritarianism
b. Nation/State- Sphere of influence under Russia& UK, but
NOT a colony (oil), Persia then Iranin 20 th C
c. Sources of Power- Shiism history as a statereligion,
charismatic authority of 1 st, AyatollahKhomeini
d. Constitution 1979, amended in 1989e. Regime type Theocratic
republic f. Economic system capitalism, yet with strong
state economic control (bonyads own 60%+ of state companies);
also rentier stateg. Legitimacy - Velayat-e-faqih - Guardianship of
the Jurist representing will of people
through S hia thought --conflicting ideals of democracy &
religion
2. Political Institutionsa. Levels- centralized, unitaryb.
Executive-
i. Supreme Leader (currently Khameini) head of state, commander
in chief, appointsMinister of Justice, many of the council heads,
can dismiss Pres.
ii. President (currently Ahmedinejad) head of government,
appoints governors &mayors, cabinet, economic matters,
c. Other quasi-executive/legislative bodies i. Guardian Council
(appt by SL/Head of Judiciary) approves or vetoes Majlis
legislation, vets/approves candidates for office (Pres, A of E,
Majles)ii. Expediency Council (appt by SL) resolves GC/Majles
conflicts, can initiate
legislation, advisors to Sup. Leaderiii. Assembly of Religious
Experts (elected) selects/verifies fitness of Supreme Leaderd.
Legislative-unicameral parliamentary system Majles.
Approves/removes cabinet heads,
approves Guardian Council & approves budgets, loans,
treaties, & lawmaking forsecular (statute) law
e. Elections/Electoral system- FPTP plurality system with
run-off elections for Majles -- 4years terms, 2-term max
(last-2012); President -- 4 year term (last-2009),
majoritypotential run-off election, 2 term max; Assembly of Experts
8 yrs. Up to 1/3 Majles candidates have been disqualified by GC;
universal suffrage, age 18
(per CIA factbook-usually trustworthy)f. Political parties/party
system very loose--personalized system surrounding leaders and
their agendas. Fluid from election to election
g. Leadership/recruitment religious centers in Qom, etc. train
the ulema; also veterans of the Iran-Iraq war now in power, plus
Rev Guards now have many former memberssurrounding President, in
Majles and heading bonyads, etc.
h. Military - Irans military includes the regular services
(army, navy, etc.) plus the IslamicRev Guard Corps (Pasdaran) and
the volunteer corps militia (Basij)
i. Bureaucracy-lots of technocrats, Ministry for Culture and
Islamic Guidance overseesmedia
j. Judiciary-head appt by Supreme Leader. Judges are also
clerics
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3. Citizen, Society and the Statea. Cleavages
Urban/Rural: Seven out of 10 Iranians now live in cities.
Young/Old: Two- thirds of Irans population is under the age of 35
Class: lower middle/peasantry supports regime, middle/upper
secularized more
reformist minded. Religion: Iran is 90% shias , 9-10% Sunni, 1%
Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, Bahai
Ethnicity: 51% Persian (Farsi speaking), 24% Azeri, 8% Gilaki,
Mazandari, 7%Kurds, 3% Arab--Persians and Azeris get along
(Khamenei is Azeri) Reformers/Conservatives political differences
b/t having more secular govt and a
strictly sharia/religious -based governmentb. Civil Society lots
of newspapers, frequently closed; crackdowns on women who dont
dress appropriatelyc. Media- mostly state owned radio, TV, but
formerly strong independent newspapers
taken a hit in last 5 years and frequently closedd. Pol.
Participation
Education is principal agent of socialization for creating good
Islamic citizens outof young Iranians but attempts have mostly
failed b/c youth most of protestmovement. Mosque and religious
institutions also important for socialization
Mass demonstrations brought about Revolution and had been
tolerated to a moderateamount & used by state as a show of
support at times. 2009 protests harshlysuppressed and fewer
demonstrations than before
4. Political & Economic Change -- LOTSa. Revolution
Islamic Revolution-- 1979 founding point for current
regime(reasons=authoritarianism, secularism, ties to West)
Cultural Revolution-early 1980s against intellectuals, primarily
in education weedout secularism
2009 protests against the election called the Green revolution
(no real changes)b. Political Change- Safavids Qajars Pahlavis
(Shah and his predecessors)
Role of the US in the Mossadeq coup shah revolution Islamic
statec. Economic Change
Rentier state develops under Pahlavis more and more income from
oil Modernization/industrialization White Revolution (1960s)
secularized Iran (womens rights) and redistributed
land to peasants, modernization Today state controls, role of
Bonyads, dependent on oil exports, recent efforts to
end subsidies and boost oil production, privatize SOEs
5. Public Policya. Nuclear program sanctions by international
community ongoing monitoring an issueb. Population -- 1 st large
families encouraged during I-I War; since late 80s, discouragedc.
Iraq ongoing issues about borders, involvement w/internal affairs,
influence of Shiism
inside, etc.d. Youth creation of jobs, opposition to regime,
universities often site for protestse. Isolation vs. engagement has
remained marginalized in intl system. Member of UN
(Russia protects them in Sec. Coucil), not member of WTO, most
important org is OPEC
6. Comparative Theory why study Iran?a. Theocracy with some
elements of democracy illiberal democracyb. Tradition of
authoritarian leadershipc. Rentier state/Politics of oild.
Moderately developed country
