IRAN

Political Economy

• 19th century– dependent on the west– Economic privileges

• 20th century– Oil dependence– Rentier state: exporting and leasing out natural

resources

Political Economy• The Shah believed wealth would trickle down

Political Economy

• After the Islamic revolution population growth• Strain on government resources• 1980-1988: war further strained resources• Pragmatism won in 1989: smaller families• Islamic Republic also scored some success

Governance and Policymaking

• Theocracy– A form of government in which ideally all laws are

grounded in religion and express the will of God, and the clergy exercises supreme power

• And democracy– Presidential, parliamentary, and local elections.

Organization of the state• Leader– Centre of executive, legislative, judiciary– Chosen by the Assembly of Experts

• Assembly of experts– Assembly members have to have seminary degrees and

passed religious exams drafted by the Guardian Council – Assembly can dismiss the leader if they find him incapable

• The leader can appoint and remove judges

Organization of the State

• President– Chief Executive– Elected by universal suffrage every four years– Proposes legislation to the Majles– Signs treaties– Conducts internal external policy– Appoints bureaucrats and managers of state-

owned firms

Institutions

• Parliament (the Majles)– About 290 members– Must be Muslims with five seats for other religions

• Limitations on the Majles’ legislative role.– All its bills and candidates are subject to the veto

of the Council of Guardians

Institutions

• Council of Guardians– Six members of the ulema and six lay Muslim

lawyers.– Ulema appointed by the Leader; lawyers

nominated by the Judiciary but approved by the Parliament

Institutions

• Expediency Council– “A council for determination of what is in the interest of

the regime”– arbitration of conflict– Since 1989 revision of the constitution– Leader appoints its members

Judiciary

• Shari’a Law• Local judges vs. Centralized judiciary• Moral crimes• Eye for an eye• Stoning, hanging as well as imprisonment

Presidential Elections

• 1980 first ever presidential election• The next four elections: Khomeini associates• 1997-2005 Khatami – “outsider”; appealed to those who had

been humiliated by the regime– Promised greater cultural openness and personal freedom

• 2005- Ahmedinejad• 2013- Rouhani