Country Specific CoPo Study Guide: Iran

Defining political organizations: regime, state, nation, government

• Regime: Theocratic Republic
• State:
• Nation: Islamic Republic of Iran
• Government: Supreme Leader: Ayatollah Khamenei; President: Ebrahim Raisi

Democracy or Authoritarianism

Though technically a theocracy with democratic elements, Iran operates more like an authoritarian state with power essentially centralized in the Supreme Leader's position.

Democratization (if applicable, specific process and goals)

Not really applicable, but:
• Hosts elections: Universal suffrage for those over 18
• Allows some basic freedoms, but not a wide variety

Sources of Power and Authority

• Islamic Republic Constitution: 99% public endorsed (gave Constitution legitimacy)
• Draws power/rule from Quran
• Strong militaristic power, including Revolutionary Guard Corps
• No political parties, but has sides within spectrum: conservatives and reformists
• Gains power from media restrictions: pushes rhetoric over intranet and can monitor/eradicate dissent
• Has control over nationalized economy/Bonyards
• Power essentially concentrated in Supreme Leader's position

Change in Power and Authority

1941 rise of Muhammad Reza Shah brought an authoritarian regime and centralized power; 1953 coup led by Muhammad Mosaddeq (supported by communists) ousted Shah and nationalized oil business; British and US saw threat to democracy and overthrew Mosaddeq, restoring Shah to power; 1979 Revolution established Islamic Republic (end of monarchy) and instated Ayatollah Khomeini as Supreme Leader

Federal and Unitary Systems

Unitary: national/central government has total power

Political Legitimacy

• Holds popular elections, which have recently come under fire for lack of free/fairness
• Constitution was instated from a referendum in 1979
• Uses religion as source of legitimacy, especially amongst more conservative populations
• Supreme Leader (Khomeini—charisamatic leadership)
• Islamic Revolution
• Secular law
• [Bogus] diversity in Majlis/other governmental orgs

Sustaining Legitimacy

Legitimacy high after 1979 Revolution, lowered after Green Movement/other protests (current Iranian protests included). Basically, the government is not exceptionally talented at sustaining legitimacy, but attempts to do so through propaganda and other forms of governmental control.

Political Stability

Relatively corrupt state, responds to violence/dissent/protests with reciprocal, often worse, violence.

Parliamentary, Presidential, Semi-Presidential Systems

Semi-Presidential Theocracy (has both president and PM)

Executive Systems

President (Raisi), PM (doesn't do much, their equivalent of speaker of the house), cabinet and VP selected by President

Executive Term Limits

President: 4-year terms, 8-year consecutive term limit
Supreme Leader: for life, but theoretically could be removed

Removal of Executives

Can be removed by Supreme Leader, or voted out in next election

Legislative Systems

Majlis (Parliament): 290 deputies (approved by Guardian Council, have equivalent of uni degree) that serve 4 year terms, five seats for religious minorities: Christians (3), Jews (1), and Zoroastrians (1). Actually acts like a legitimate, well-functioning institution (which sometimes puts them in conflict with the Supreme Leader or president): can enact/change laws, appoint 6/12 members of the Guardian Council, investigate cabinet ministers and public complaints against executive and judiciary, can remove cabinet members (not president), and approve budget/cabinet appointments/treaties/loans.

Independent Legislatures

Not particularly independent, under watch of and restricted by Guardian Council

Judicial Systems

Governed by Sharia (Islamic) Law and Qanun (secular/people's law). Chief Justice is appointed by SL and appoints senior judges, who serve 5 year terms. Three types of courts exist: criminal, civil, and revolutionary courts. The Penal Code (retribution law) is very strict/harsh

Independent Judiciaries

None (authoritarian)

Civil Society

Iranian gov views civil society as being antithetical to the Islamic state (contrary to ummah), but minimal civil society can currently be found among Iran's youth (many sons/daughters of disillusioned middle-class professionals). There are restrictions against Press, NGOS, telecommunications, and the Internet: under Khatami, Iranians experienced some loosening of restrictions, which were ultimately repressed by the SL, and Ahmadinejad inflicted heavy restrictions on press/media/demonstrations.

Political Culture

Does not really exist in Iran: division over the relationship between the market and state (economic liberalization vs maintaining a nationalist economy): Iran is the ONLY COPO COUNTRY THAT DID NOT LIBERALIZE THE ECONOMY as many view liberalization as Westernization. Iran is highly nationalist with a complicated view of the West: part of national identity is linked to Islam, which means that democratization would not lead to secularization. See themselves as playing an equal part in western history (not credited by West) and view world in a conspiratorial way.

Political Ideologies

Principalists vs Reformists
• Principalists: oppose democratization, believe that faith has a political role and is the central institution within the state (pious rule can hasten return of Madi), supported by the Revolutionary Guard and Khamenei
• Reformists (mix of secular and some clerics who have quietist vision—worldly power cannot be combined with spiritual authority): call for reduced/modified role of Islam in politics in favor of rule of law/democratic reforms, view politics as a corrupting influence on politics, supported by Khatami and kind of Rouhani

Political Values and Beliefs

See above/political parties

Nature and Role of Political Participation

Has universal suffrage for citizens over 18 but bars women from running from most offices. Guardian Council is antithetical to participation/competition as it disposes of certain candidates.

Forces that Impact Political Participation

• Gender
• Guardian Council

Civil Rights and Civil Liverties

Few and far in between, nearly every right (vote, organize—interest groups, etc.) is highly supervised

Political and Social Cleavages

• Race
• Religion
• Class
• Gender
• Political ideology

Challenges from Political and Social Cleavages

• Current Iranian protests
• Racial conflicts (previous conflicts with Azeris)
• Persecution of religious minorities (Ba'hai faith)
• Pressure from citizens during economic crises (2019 protests over increased fuel prices)

Electoral Systems and Rules

Has direct elections: there are no political parties and they are held on a nonpartisan bias. Citizens vote for the president, Majlis, and Assembly of Religious Experts. The president must win an absolute majority of votes (over 50%), but candidates must be approved by the guardian council. The Majlis must also be approved by the guardian council, and they are elected with a Hybrid Electoral System: the candidate with the highest share wins, as long as that share is over 25%. If not, there is a run off for the top two candidates with the most support. Iranian citizens also vote for the Assembly of Religious Experts (again, must be approved by the guardian council—candidates cannot be reformers or critics and must pass a religious examination).

Objectives of Election Rules

Citizens over 18 may vote for Assembly of Religious Experts, Majlis, and the President. Elections to Majlis and president are by plurality, winner-takes-all, and are done over 2 rounds to narrow field down to 2 candidates.

Political Party Systems

No real parties, only coalitions:
• Conservatives: uphold principles of regime established in 1979, against modernization because it threatens Shi'ism, wary of western influence, believes that political and religious decision should be synonymous, supports the right of clerics to run the political system
• Reformists: support incremental reform: believe that the political system needs reform (but disagree on specific reforms), advocate some degree of international involvement with western countries, believe that shi'ism is important basis of Iranian society, support the idea that political leaders do not have to be clerics

The Role of Political Party System

Manage debates from a theocratic vs democratic lens

Impact of Social Movements and Interest Groups

Linkage groups: connect citizens to the government, allow people to rally behind a cause and petition the government on behalf of that cause. However, they are very weak in Iranian society (difficult to distinguish between parties and interest groups) and often nominate people to run for office.

Pluralist or Corporatist Interests

Corporatist: monitored and must have permission to exist

Impact of Global, Economic, and Technological Forces

View the West in a conspiratorial way, but trade with the West turned Iran into a resource trap (made country poorer rather than richer). Mixed and transition economy with large public sector, 18th largest by PPP.

Political Responses to Global Economic Forces

Push staunchly violent anti-American/anti-Western rhetoric, blame America/West for nearly all domestic economic issues

Challenges from Globalization

Common Iranian citizens gain greater access to the global internet, allowing them to understand their regime's brutality, consider other political ideologies, and unite/organize against the government, posing a great challenge to the authoritarian government's future.

Policies and Economic Liberalization

ECONOMY IS NOT LIBERALIZED: nationalized economy

International and Supranational Organizations

Member of the UN, had nuclear deal (fell apart)

Adaptation of Social Policies

Most social policies that oppress and further marginalize women/other groups are enthusiastically enforced: social policies often adapted with brutal intolerance.

Impacts of Industrialization and Economic Development

Iran is a renteir state and a resource trap: used mercantilist policies and top-down industrialization to grow economy in the 20th century, but leaders siphoned off wealth for themselves and not national development (allowed them to ignore and repress public because income did not come from them), essentially, in conjunction with women's workplace limitations, ruining the economy.

Causes and Effects of Demographic Changes

Demographic is incredibly young because of encouraged births (soldiers for war with Iraq) and current encouragement after promoting bc (avg age: approx. 30.8), prompting greater calls for democratization/reform within the Iranian government. Population is incredibly urbanized (again, often leading to greater calls for reform), but the government is made up of mostly older individuals.

Impact of Natural Resources

Oil turned Iran into a renteir state (essentially, is the core of its economy): it is incredibly reliant on its natural resources as they dictate its economy and domestic/international affairs.