AP Comp Gov: Iran

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

President of Iran from 2005 to 2013.

While Iran never formally became a colony, after World War I, ________ occupied much of the country and controlled its growing oil industry. This imperialist history helps explain Iran's continued animosity towards this country.

The United Kingdom

Drug abuse is a serious problem within Iran, especially the usage of opiates (opium, heroin, and morphine). What is the source of most of this drug supply?

A. the United States

B. the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia and Iraq

C. Pakistan and Afghanistan

D. Europe

C. Pakistan and Afghanistan

How are the members of Iran's Majlis (legislature) chosen?

A. They are directly elected by the voters.

B. They are appointed by the supreme leader.

C. They are appointed by the president with the approval of the Guardian Council.

D. They are selected by the governments of Iran's regions.

A. They are directly elected by the voters.

Which of the following best describes Iran's judiciary?

A. The rule of law has improved in recent years, and the public has been able to use the legal system to combat political corruption.This answer is incorrect.

B. Iran's leaders practice rule by law, not rule of law, meaning the legal system is subject to the interests of the leaders.

C. The judicial system was completely dismantled under the Islamic Revolution, and Iran functioned without a codified legal system for several years.

D. Iranian judges operate under a high degree of independence, frequently leading to contradictory opinions, which cause the system to be highly dysfunctional.

D. Iranian judges operate under a high degree of independence, frequently leading to contradictory opinions, which cause the system to be highly dysfunctional.

Iran has become associated with terrorism, in large part due to their support of

Hezbollah in Lebanon

Perhaps the most significant problem facing Iran's economy is

a "resource trap," as the discovery of oil has made the country poorer rather than richer.

Green Revolution

When Ahmadinejad was announced as the winner with 62% of the vote to Mousavi’s 34%

• Protests erupted in favor of Mousavi and claiming election fraud

  • Formed a special council and formed a recount → Supreme Leader stopped the recount and proclaimed that Ahmadinejad was the leader

    • Had ANOTHER recount after last one was stopped, still declared Ahmadinejad was winner

Ashura

The most important Shia religious holiday, commemorating the death of Hussein, the grandson of the prophet Muhammad. (page 507)

Assembly of Experts

Elected body that chooses the supreme leader. (page 521)

ayatollah

In Shiite Islam, a title in the religious hierarchy achieved by scholars who have demonstrated highly advanced knowledge of Islamic law and religion. (page 507)

Basij

"People's militia," which serves as a public morals police. (page 526)

bonyads

Parastatal foundations made in part from assets nationalized after the Iranian Revolution. (page 540)

chief justice

Head of the judiciary. (page 524)

Constitutional Revolution

1906 uprising against Qajar dynasty by secular and religious leaders to limit the power of the monarchy and resist Western imperialism. (page 508)

Expediency Council

Appointed body that mediates between the Majlis and the Guardian Council over legislative disputes. (page 523)

Farsi

Language of Iran. (page 501)

Guardian Council

Appointed body that vets candidates for office and can overturn legislation. (page 523)

imams

Descendants of the prophet Muhammad, considered by Shia to be true political and religious leaders of Islam. (page 506)

Iran-Iraq War

The 1980–1988 conflict between the two countries, started by Iraq. (page 517)

Islamic Republic of Iran

Name for postrevolutionary Iran. (page 517)

Islamism, or Islamic fundamentalism

The belief that Islam should be the source of the political regime. (page 501)

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Current supreme leader of Iran, as of 1989. (page 504)

Mohammad Khatami

President of Iran from 1997 to 2005. (page 503)

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

First supreme leader of Iran, from 1980 to his death in 1989. (page 501)

Koran

Central holy book of Islam. (page 501)

Mahdi

In Shiism, a term for the "hidden imam," the descendant of Muhammad who will return to earth to usher in a new age. (page 506)

Majlis

Legislature of Iran. (page 508)

Mohammad Mosaddeq

Prime minister of Iran; deposed in 1953 by Operation Ajax. (page 512)

Muhammad

Main prophet of Islam. (page 503)

National Front

Political party in Iran following World War II; it opposed the monarchy and favored greater Iranian control over natural resources; outlawed after Operation Ajax. (page 512)

Operation Ajax

U.S.- and UK-backed overthrow of Iranian prime minister Mosaddeq in 1953. (page 513)

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

Monarch of Iran from 1941 to 1979. (page 512)

Reza Shah Pahlavi

This Iranian ruler governed from 1925 until 1941, when he was forced to abdicate by foreign powers. He pursued a course of dramatic Westernization and state-building, including reforms to the military, bureaucracy, education, and women's rights.

Persia

Name for Iran before 1935. (page 505)

president

In Iran, the head of government. (page 522)

principalists

Term for political conservatives in Iran who oppose liberalization and political reform. (page 537)

quietist

Description of view within Shiism that rejects theocracy and the direct role of religion in the state. (page 536)

Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani

President of Iran from 1989 to 1997; current head of the Expediency Council. (page 523)

Revolutionary Guard

Paramilitary force charged with defending the regime from domestic and internal enemies. (page 526)

Hassan Rouhani

President of Iran since 2013 who won despite the supreme leader's statements in support of a different candidate as he ran a surprisingly pragmatic and aggressive campaign, supporting the Green Wave movement and offering practical critiques of previous Iranian policies.

SAVAK

Secret police of prerevolutionary Iran. (page 513)

Second Khordad Front

Reformist alliance that emerged in Iran to contest 2000 Majlis elections. (page 529)

Sharia

Religious law of Islam. (page 519)

Shiism

Minority sect of Islam that differs from Sunnism over the rightful heir and proper descendants of the prophet Muhammad. (page 503)

supreme leader

Chief spiritual and political leader of Iran. (page 520)

theocracy

Rule by religion or religious leaders. (page 501)

ummah

Literally, "community"; meant to refer to the nation or Islamic communities everywhere. (page 532)

velayat-e faqih

Rule by Islamic jurists; also, Islamic Republic's political system, which places power in the hands of clerics. (page 515)

White Revolution

The policy reforms enacted by the shah, beginning in 1963, to rapidly modernize and Westernize the country—enacted by Reza Shah, beginning in 1963. (page 513)

Linkage Institutions

Is a structure within a society that connects the people to the government or centralized authority. These ____ include: elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.