Iran Case Study

One of the 6 AP countries in AP COMP GOVT

Assembly of Religious Experts

Assembly of Religious Experts

This body functions like the senate or upper house of the legislature. It is a body of 86 senior clerics who are elected by the people for a 10 year term.

Ayatollah

In Shiism, an ______ has reached the highest level of spiritual awareness. Khomeini is a key example of someone with this distinction.

Bonyads

Semi-public foundations in Iran. A form of Islamic charity controlled by clerics. The most powerful is the Foundation of the Oppressed.

Constitution of 1906

Established the Majlis - which was originally a unicameral legislature.

Constitution of 1979

Was immediately drawn up following the revolution.

Expediency Council

Was created to resolve differences between the Guardian Council and the Majlis. It also has the power to initiate laws. All the members of this body are appointed by the supreme leader. It has 32 members who serve 5 year terms and are collectively the most powerful men in Iran.

Fundamentalism

strict or radical adherence to literal interpretation of religious scripture.

Green Revolution

Protest movement in 2009 over the presidential election

Guardian Council

The most powerful theological body in Iran. It has 6 senior clerics appointed by the supreme leader and 6 judges appointed by the Majlis from a list compiled by the supreme leader. This group must review all bills passed by the Majlis to ensure they conform to shar'ia.

Velayat-e faqih

Also known as Guardianship of the Jurist. This supports the notion that senior clerics have the best capacity to rule in a Muslim society.

Imam

A religious teacher or preacher of Islam.

Islamicists

reformers in Iran are referred to as ______ because they are attempting to blend the tenets of Islam with the needs and complexities of a modern, industrialized, and globalizing world.

Majlis

Has 290 members - 285 seats are determined through single member district elections and 5 seats are reserved for religious minority groups in Iran. This group can choose 6 of the 12 Guardian Council members from a list approved by the chief judge.

OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)

After Saudia Arabia, Iran is the most important member of this organization and can cast crucial votes for lowering or raising oil prices.

Rentier State

A country that obtains a lucrative income by exporting raw materials or leasing out natural resources for foreign interests.

Rents

Lucrative income

Shah

Title of the rulers of Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Shi'ites

The overwhelming majority of Iranian citizens are ____ Muslims even though the majority of Muslims in the world are Sunni. ____ have an established clergy and emphacize the importance of theological training for those who have the authority to interpret shar'ia.

Sunnis

A branch of Islam but not the branch of Islam that is the most popular in Iran.

Supreme Leader

Is appointed by the Assembly of Religious Experts and serves for life. He has veto power over almost everything elected officials in Iran can do.

White Revolution

The term used by the shah to describe reforms in Iran between the end of WWII and the downfall of his regime in 1979.

Theocratic regime (Theocracy)

A government system where religious leaders control the government.

Demographic

An important ____________ fact about Iran is that 1/4 of the population is under 15 and the median age is 26.

Dual Executive System

The supreme leader and the president play a role in governing Iran which gives it a _________ system.

Oil

Is the primary export commodity for Iran. It provides about 80% of its annual budget and finances 90% of its imports. Iran is the 4th largest producer of oil in the world.

Persian

Most Iranians are _________, not Arabs. They have a different cultural history and ethnic heritage than that of other Middle Eastern cultural groups. They also speak their own language - Farsi.

Arable land

A key geographical feature of Iran is its lack of ______ which means that much of its land cannot grow food and that 67% of the population lives on less than 30% of the land.

Shar'ia

Islamic legal code that many argue should supersede civil law in countries such as Iran and Nigeria.

Collective

Like in most Middle Eastern countries the political culture in Iran leans toward the _____ as opposed to the individual.

Basij

A group of modern-day vigilantes created during the Iran-Iraq war to suppress protest and opposition movements.

Dual Rule System/Mixed Regime/Hybrid Regime

Iran has a _____ that is unique. It has an authoritarian system with democratic elements. Clerical rule is authoritarian and cannot be challenged. But it is also partially democratic because some high-ranking political officials, including the president, are elected by the people.

President

The chief executive of Iran

Commander-in-Chief

The supreme leader has this position because he can mobilize the armed forces, declare war and peace, and appoint and dismiss commanders of the military and the Revolutionary Guard.

Popularly elected

The president, Majlis, and Assembly of Religious Experts are __________ unlike the supreme leader, judiciary, Expediency Council and Guardian Council.

Multi-round

Iran operates on a single-member district/multi-member district design with __________ voting for both the Majlis and presidential elections. Russia is the only other core country that operates a 2-round voting system, albeit only for the presidential election.