POL 257 Quiz 3 Review

CCP: Iran and ECP Chapters 6-8

Iran

Major ethnicity; Persian

National language: Farsi

Practice Shiism, a minority form of Islam

Population: nearly 80 million, very young and diverse

Iran’s Historical Development

1925-1929: Pahlavi Dynasty

Reza Khan was appointed as the new Shah in 1925, entering a course of dramatic Westernization and Modernization, aiming to become more like European nations and America

WWII: Reza Khan abdicated, making his son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi the new Shah

1951: Mohammad Mosadeq was elected prime minister

White Revolution

1963-1979. Aggressive modernization through social and economic reforms. Strictly opposed by religious leaders and traditionalists

Iranian Revolution

1978-1979. Its goal was to get rid of the Pahlavi Dynasty (the Shah). Motivated by the dissatisfaction with rulers’ corruption, economic inequality, unemployment, and political repression. More than a fundamentalist movement. Brough Khomeini to power, establishing a government based on velayat-e-faqih and Sharia law

Iran Political Regime

• Hybrid style regime

• Since the revolution, the Islamic republic of Iran follows the idea of the Khomeini

• Unitary division of power

• Dual executive: Supreme Leader and President

• Unicameral legislature (Majilis)

Iran Electoral System

Majilis and Assembly of Experts

For Majlis and Assembly of Experts: mixed system with SMDs majority and MMDs

The President is directly elected through a simple two-round runoff

Iranian Constitution

• Product of the 1979 Revolution

• Based on Sharia law: Koran serves as foundation for unified national ideology

• Embodies democratic elements (presidential and legislative elections

• Tensions between republican (democratic) and theocratic elements

Iran’s Executive Branch

• Supreme Leader: dominant executive, may be seen as head of state, directs political and religious life. Commander of armed forces. controls the Guardian Council. Currently: Ali Khameini as of March 2026

• The President: more like head of government. Directly elected (up to 2 four-year terms. Weaker powers (limited by the Supreme Leader and legislature) some power in diplomacy and public relations. Responsible for drafting state budget, initiating legislation

• Currently: Masoud Pezeshkian since 2024. More moderate and reformist nature

Iran’s Legislature

• Majilis: Unicameral body, directly elected, limited amount of power, currently several women serving in this sector

• Guardian Council: 12 individuals who serve 6-year terms, review legislation from the Majlis and ensures compatability with the criteria of Islam and the Constitution. Oversees elections

• Expendiency Council: Appointed by the Supreme Leader for 5-year terms, final decisions cannot be overturned, and serves as a kind of “unelected upper house”

Iran’s Judiciary

• Legal system derived from Sharia law

• Rule of law is understood as a threat to God’s sovereignty

• Chief justice: appointed by Supreme Leader for 5-year term

• Manages judicial institutions and oversees appointment and removal of judges. Expert on Sharia and restricted to men only

Iran’s Political Economy

Resource curse/resource trap

Following mercantilist patterns (more focus on economic growth)

4th largest oil reserves in the world. Oil driven but stagnant in other sectors. Helped modernize and urbanize the country

Iran’s Oil Impact

Influence on taxation: higher taxation rate to manage budget deficits

Women’s rights: huge focus on oil, neglecting other aspects of society. A male-dominated industry, machinery heavy meaning less opportunities for women

Corruption

Development of other industries: political leaders don’t think of long term effects on other industries

Totalitarianism

Nondemocratic rule with highly centralized state characterized by a strong ideology that seeks to transform and fuse the institutions of the state, society, and economy. Very strong ideology can based on religious or ethnic practices. Often use violence to maintain control and destroy any obstacles

Coercion

Public obedience enforced with violence and surveillance. Compelling individuals by threatening harm to their lives

Surveillance

Watching the population and punishing those critical of the state

Cooptation

Bringing outsiders into beneficial relations with the state (bribery) May take the form of corporatism or clientism

Corporatism

State controls and approves all social and economic institutions

Clientelism

The state provides favors to people who offer their support. Money in exchange for votes, food, or alliances behind closed doors

Personality cult

The public is encouraged to obey the leader based on his or her extraordinary qualities and compelling ideas. Examples: Putin, Trump, Hitler, Stalin

Personal and Monarchical Rule

The idea that one leader is equipped to run the country. Not a team of leaders, just one particular leader with high levels of charismatic legitimacy, with support from a small group of elites

Patrimonialism

Where the leader, in return for obedience, provides benefits to a small group of supporters

Military Rule

The military often takes power through a coup d’état, removes the government, restricts civil liberties, and bans political parties. Can take the form of bureaucratic authoritarianism

Bureaucratic authoritarianism

A regime that believes technocratic leadership focused on objective, rational, and technical expertise can solve the problems of the country without public participation

One-Party Rule

Where one party monopolizes power, with other parties banned or excluded from power. Commonly associated with totalitarianism and sometimes associated with communism or fascism. Ex: China and the Chinese Communist Party

Theocracy

Where faith is the foundation of the political regime and affects nearly all political decisions and institutions. Ex: Saudi Arabia

Illiberal Regimes

Contains institutions that seem democratic but aren’t respected or seen by these people as legitimate or effective. Other names: hybrid regimes, electoral authoritarianism, semi-democratic regimes

Political violence

Politically motivated violence outside of state control

Institutional explanations for political violence

Existing institutions may encourage violence or constrain human action, creating a violent backlash. Focus on how state, economic, or social systems contribute to political violence. Competition for power. Ex: election backlash

Ideational explanation for political violence

Ideas may justify or promote the use of violence. The effect of political, religious ideas in causing political violence. Ex: MAGA, ICE, al-Qaeda

Individual explanation for political violence

Psychological or strategic factors may lead people to carry out violence, either rational or psychological. Deprivation model

Revolution

Public seizure of the state to overturn the existing government and regime. The public plays a key role in this form of political violence. Often, but not always involves violence

Terrorism

The use of violence by non-state actors against civilians in order to achieve a political goal

State-sponsored terrorism

Violence (genocide, war crimes, torture) perpetrated by a state as an instrument of foreign policy

Guerilla war

In contrast to terrorism, this form of political violence involves violence by non-state actors targeting the state.

Countering political violence

Political participation to diffuse possibility of political violence by providing more options for opposition. Regime change can increase the threat of political violence, especially if that change is violent.

Democracies that are victims of political violence may curtail certain freedoms in order to increase security, which made erode democracy and contribute to more political violence

Developed democracies

Countries that have institutionalized democracy and a high level of economic development and prosperity

Advanced democracy

Shares basic components of liberal democracies with a commitment to private property and free markets. Also believes in liberty, political competition, and participation

Sovereignty

Right to self-govern

Integration

Blurring the lines between countries by creating common policies, rules, and tighter connections. Ex: The European Union

Devolution

The process of transferring powers and resources away from the central state institutions and vesting them at a lower level (state, county, city-level)

Supranational system

A system where member states voluntarily cede part of their sovereign powers to a higher authority

Intergovernmental system

A network of interactions, negotiations, and cooperative relationships between different levels of government (federal, state, local) on sovereign nations. Ex: The UN

How devolution takes place

• Transfer of policy-making responsibility to lower levels of government

• Creation of new political institutions at lower levels of government

• Transfer of funds and powers to tax to lower levels of government, affording them more control over how resources are distributed

Postmodern values

Values that are focused less on the idea of progress as embodied by material gain or technological innovations and more on the environment, health, leisure, personal equality, and diversity

Postindustrialism

Economies based on not the manufacturing of tangible goods but on the service sector (industries like finance, real estate, education, healthcare)

The Welfare State

Focus on social expenditures to reduce inequalities. Ex: public pension plans, public healthcare, education, and unemployment benefits

Dangers of The Welfare State

Increasing taxes and borrowing

Challenges of demographic changes

• Population decline

• Aging populations

Less people are paying taxes and joining the workforce, reliant on people pouring back into the welfare state

Solutions to demographic changes

• Increased immigration

• Cut back benefits

• Reforms of the labor market, increases in retirement age, encouragement of more part-time work