RYAN STARR, MUHAMMAD AKRAM, YOON JUNG JANG,

JORDAN EPP, NIK BLANKS, SANA KHAN

Islamic Republic of Iran

Introduction

• Islam• Cultural History• Political Rule• Violence

Geography• Arid• 68% Urban• 4th largest

oil exporter• 83% literate

Origins of Government

• Islamic Revolution of 1979• Ayatollah Khomeni

Levels of Government

• Unitary• Centralized• Theocracy with Democratic Processes• 30 provincial governor-generals

Executive

• Islamic Constitution• President (HOG, HOS)• Supreme Leader• Assembly of Experts• No Vice President: Presidential Deputies• Add recent election results on next slide

2013 Presidential Election

Legislature

• Unicameral• Majles• Asymmetric

Majles• Arabic term for “assembly”• Iranian Parliament• Regular elections every 4 years

Majles

• 290 Seats• “represent the nation”• Qanuns (statutes)

Guardian Council

• Committee created in Iranian constitution to oversee Majles

• 12 members (all male)• Shari’a (divine law)

Powers of Majles

• Making/changing laws• Supervising affairs of state• Approving/Ousting cabinet ministers• Choosing half of GC• Many powers but must be approved by GC

Powers of GC

• Represent theocratic principles• Review bills passed by Majles• Decides who can compete in elections

Expediency Council

• Committee set up in Iran to resolve differences between the Majles (parliament) and the Guardian Council

Electoral System

• Plurality, winner-take-all• ONLY for Majles• 2 rounds of elections– 1st round narrows down to 2 candidates– Run-offs

Recent Election

• “Fair Elections”• Guardian Council approves candidates before

voting• 2004: conservatives win but lowest voter

turnout• 2009: more voter turnout but controversial

2012 Election

Policymaking

• Highly complex• Constitution vs. ruling clergy– Many amendments

• Maslahat– “reasons of state”

Political Parties• Not competitive• No huge role in politics• Coalitions and groups• Interest groups vs political parties

Major Political Parties

• Islamic Iran Participation Front• Islamic Labor Party– Formed by Khatami reformist supporters

• Servants of Reconstruction– Formed by Rafsanjani– Centrist

Leadership and Elite Recruitment

• Elites• Clergy

Interest Groups

• Islamic Association of Women• Green Coalition• Workers' House

Bureaucracy

• Role in Policy Making• Clergy• Ministers• Major Ministries

Military

• Clergy• Military• Revolutionary guard• Law Enforcement Forces of Islamic Republic of

Iran(Gendarmerie)• VEVAK

Judiciary

• Court system• Retained the Shahs court structure.

• “Independent”• Constitution• Head of the Judiciary is appointed by the Leader• The clergy are regarded as the ultimate interpreters

of the Shari'a• Law• The Penal Code• Judicial Review

Iran: Day 2

Political and Economic Trends

Islamic Revolution 1979

• Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini• Dominant ideology was religion instead of

communism• Theocracy • Islamic Fundamentalism

Iraq-Iran War of 1980

• Saddam Hussein lead Iraq• Officially began with an Iraqi land and air invasion of

western Iran • War over disputed territory

Social Movements

• Jurist’s Guardianship – Intermingling of politics with religion

• Dual society society and economy are sharply divided

Social Movements

• Cultural Revolution – Purify the country

• White Revolution Fight against Communism

Influences on Modern Political System

• People of the Book– Monotheistic people who subjected their lives to

the holy scripture.• Majles (Legislature)• Guardian Council

Pahlavis

• White Revolution – Focused on land reform– Encourage farmers to be modern entrepreneurs

• Import Substitution Industrialization

Pahlavis

• Transformed Iran into a rentier state– Heavily supported by state expenditures, while

receiving rent from other countries– Income from exporting oil and leasing out oil fields– No longer had to rely on internal taxes

Effects of Rentier State

• Transformed Iran into a one product economy• Creation of a divide in the society• Brought Globalization

Islamic Revolution and the Republic 1979-present

• Fundamentalism • Jurist Guardianship • Assembly of Religious Experts–73-man assembly of clerics elected directly

by the people

Islamic Republic

• “Economics is For Donkeys” – Khomeini’s response to questions about the economy– Said to be the reason for Iran’s inchoate economy

Islamic Republic

• Reformers v. Conservatives – Debate about the merits of a theocracy v. a

democracy • Statists v. Free-marketers– Debate about command economy v. market

economy

Globalization

• OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)

• Major trade between developed countries in the west.

Political Culture

• Government has maintained legitimacy among its people

• Requests for reforms• Iranian citizens feel oppressed compared to

other countries

Political Socialization

• Education system • Military conscription • The media

Cleavages

• Religion – Shiite vs Sunni• Ethnicity• Social class• Large differences in political views

Political Participation

• There are multiple political parties that range in the spectrum and fall under categories named above. Including – Islamic Society of Engineers– Front of Islamic Revolution Stability – Moderation and Development Party – Combatant Clergy Association – Islamic Coalition Party

Political Violence Examples

• Protests over drop in currency value • Hunger strikes led by Dervishes

Women in Politics

• Access to education • Lack of decision making abilities • There are 9 women currently in the Iranian

Cabinet– The most there have been is 13

• Protests and revolts • Shirin Ebadi

Influences on Public Policy

• Supreme leader has final say in every decision• President sets policy but parliament can

propose policy• Guardian Council

Supranational Influence

• UN• Observer of WTO• OPEC

Economic Performance

• 10% unemployment rate• Projected 35% inflation rate at end of year

Social Welfare

• Education reformed significantly since 1979• Islamic influence• Large increase in literacy rate

• Constitutional right to healthcare• 14 million below poverty line• Mostly Urban

Civil Liberties

• Violate international human rights norms– Harsh penalties for crimes and punishment of

victimless crimes• Restrictions on freedom of speech and the

press• Restrictions on freedom of religion and gender

equality• Capital punishment (high death penalty)

Environment

• Lots of air pollution• Tehran is one of the most polluted cities in the

world• Polluted Water• Garbage disposal problems

Migration

• Abundant flows of emigration and immigration

• Brain drain• Refugee haven, mainly for Afghans and Iraqis• Steep urban growth rates

Terrorism

• Cinema Rex fire (1978)• “Chain murders” – 1998• Various bombings: Mashhad & Zanedan • Jundallah - terrorist organization

Corruption

• Low government transparency • Ahmadinejad proposed to investigate

members of the legislature• Exploded during the Ahmadinejad years

Other Issues

• Nuclear power• Dramatic rise in HIV• Drug use