Notes on Iran's Political Institutions

Key Concepts of Iran's Political System

• Distinction Between Institutions:

  • Unelected Institutions: Includes the Supreme Leader, Guardian Council, Expediency Council, and Judiciary, which wield significant power and often override elected bodies.

  • Elected Institutions: Comprises the President, Majles (parliament), and Assembly of Experts, allowing for some public representation but heavily constrained by the influence of clerical authorities.

Supreme Leader

• Position: The Supreme Leader is the most powerful individual in Iran, embodying both legal and spiritual authority. This position intertwines religious leadership with political governance, making it central to Iran’s theocratic system.

• Role: Responsible for overseeing and directing the government’s agenda, the Supreme Leader appoints key positions within the military and judiciary, wields the power to veto legislation, and influences foreign and domestic policy.

• Background: Established by Ayatollah Khomeini after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the position has been held since 1989 by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has maintained a tight grip on power amidst calls for reform.

• Tenure: Appointed for life, the Supreme Leader can only be removed by the Assembly of Experts under specific circumstances, such as incapacitation or failure to fulfill responsibilities.

• Power Structure: Functions within a dual executive system alongside the president, however, the Supreme Leader holds ultimate authority, often overshadowing the president in significant decision-making.

Government Institutions Overview

• Unelected Institutions: These include the Supreme Leader, Guardian Council, and Judiciary, which significantly shape the governance landscape and impede the efficacy of elected officials. Their power often stifles democratic processes and public engagement.

• Elected Institutions: While nominally offering a platform for public participation through elected positions, the actual power dynamics are constrained by the overarching influence of the unelected clerical bodies, limiting the potential for political change.

The Guardian Council

• Composition: Made up of twelve members, comprising six appointed by the Supreme Leader and six by the judiciary, the Guardian Council serves as a critical gatekeeper in Iran’s political system.

• Powers: Responsible for approving or rejecting parliamentary laws and vetting candidates for elections, ensuring that all actions are in line with Islamic principles and the revolutionary ideology.

• Impact on Elections: Holds the power to disqualify candidates for elections based on their commitment to the values of the Islamic revolution, which has led to accusations of electoral manipulation and a lack of free and fair elections.

The Expediency Council

• Purpose: Functions as an advisory body tasked with resolving disputes between the parliament and the Guardian Council regarding legislation, thus wielding final authority over legislative matters.

• Overreach: This council can rewrite legislation and enact policies without parliamentary approval, further entrenching the power of unelected institutions over elected ones.

• Appointed Members: All members are appointed by the Supreme Leader, reinforcing a system of control that limits legislative independence.

The Judiciary

• Overview: The Iranian legal system is predominantly guided by Sharia law, with clergy assuming leadership roles in all judicial proceedings, thereby intertwining religion with law enforcement.

• Judicial Role: Judges are appointed by the Supreme Leader; the judiciary lacks traditional mechanisms for judicial review and operates primarily to enforce religious law and state ideology.

• Use of Power: The judiciary is often employed to suppress dissent and maintain regime stability, actively prosecuting political opponents and utilizing harsh penalties to quell protests.

The President

• Role: Serves as the head of government and is responsible for executing policies and managing foreign relations. Despite this role, the president often finds their authority curtailed by the Supreme Leader.

• Term: Elected for a four-year term with a maximum of two consecutive terms, the presidency can fluctuate in power based on the policies of the incumbent and the political climate.

• Duties: Besides overseeing daily government operations, the president deals with external affairs and economic policies; past presidents have experienced varying degrees of power, largely influenced by their political ideologies (reformist vs. conservative).

The Majles (Iran's Legislature)

• Function: A unicameral parliament tasked with the responsibilities of passing laws, overseeing the national budget, and holding the government accountable, but its effectiveness is undermined by the Guardian Council’s influence.

• Population Elected: Members are elected by popular vote; however, their legislative capacity is often restricted, as laws must adhere to criteria set forth by the Guardian Council.

• Debate Dynamics: While debates in the Majles can be vigorous, the underlying decisions must comply with the directives imposed by unelected authorities, questioning the legislature’s autonomy and legitimacy.

The Assembly of Experts

• Composition: Comprises 88 clerics elected directly by citizens for eight-year terms, serving a pivotal role in the confirmation and oversight of the Supreme Leader.

• Responsibilities: While it theoretically holds the power to appoint and remove the Supreme Leader, in practice, it largely functions to monitor his performance without the requisite authority to challenge his decisions directly.

• Limitations: The Assembly lacks the practical power to effectively counterbalance the Supreme Leader’s dominance, diluting its oversight efficacy.

Implementation of Power and Control

• Clientelism: The regime employs bonyads (quasi-governmental foundations) to allocate state resources selectively, rewarding loyal supporters and maintaining the loyalty of key demographics.

• Security Forces: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operates as a dual entity, functioning both as a military force committed to protecting the revolution and as a powerful economic organization, reflecting a blend of military and political influence.

Key Takeaways

• The Iranian political system uniquely merges theocratic leadership with limited electoral representation, presenting a complex governance structure that interlocks religious authority with state mechanisms.

• Actual power dynamics heavily favor unelected clerical bodies despite existing institutional frameworks, raising questions about the genuine democratic nature within Iran's governance model.

Review Points

• Understand and analyze the comparative influence of elected versus unelected institutions in Iran and how these dynamics shape governance.

• Explore the specific roles and constraints faced by significant institutions such as the Guardian Council, Expediency Council, and the Majles, considering their implications for public representation and accountability.

• Reflect on how the dual executive structure complicates governance and policy-making, contributing to a resistance to reform and enhancing regime stability.

• Familiarize with the key terminology: Supreme Leader, Guardian Council, Expediency Council, Majles, Assembly of Experts, and their functions within Iran's political landscape.