ryan starr, muhammad akram, yoon jung jang, jordan epp, nik blanks, sana khan
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Islamic Republic of Iran. RYAN STARR, MUHAMMAD AKRAM, YOON JUNG JANG, JORDAN EPP, NIK BLANKS, SANA KHAN. Introduction. Islam Cultural History Political Rule Violence. Geography. Arid 68% Urban 4 th largest oil exporter 83% literate. Origins of Government. Islamic Revolution of 1979 - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
RYAN STARR, MUHAMMAD AKRAM, YOON JUNG JANG,
JORDAN EPP, NIK BLANKS, SANA KHAN
Islamic Republic of Iran
Introduction
• Islam• Cultural History• Political Rule• Violence
Geography• Arid• 68% Urban• 4th largest
oil exporter• 83% literate
Origins of Government
• Islamic Revolution of 1979• Ayatollah Khomeni
Levels of Government
• Unitary• Centralized• Theocracy with Democratic Processes• 30 provincial governor-generals
Executive
• Islamic Constitution• President (HOG, HOS)• Supreme Leader• Assembly of Experts• No Vice President: Presidential Deputies• Add recent election results on next slide
2013 Presidential Election
Legislature
• Unicameral• Majles• Asymmetric
Majles• Arabic term for “assembly”• Iranian Parliament• Regular elections every 4 years
Majles
• 290 Seats• “represent the nation”• Qanuns (statutes)
Guardian Council
• Committee created in Iranian constitution to oversee Majles
• 12 members (all male)• Shari’a (divine law)
Powers of Majles
• Making/changing laws• Supervising affairs of state• Approving/Ousting cabinet ministers• Choosing half of GC• Many powers but must be approved by GC
Powers of GC
• Represent theocratic principles• Review bills passed by Majles• Decides who can compete in elections
Expediency Council
• Committee set up in Iran to resolve differences between the Majles (parliament) and the Guardian Council
Electoral System
• Plurality, winner-take-all• ONLY for Majles• 2 rounds of elections– 1st round narrows down to 2 candidates– Run-offs
Recent Election
• “Fair Elections”• Guardian Council approves candidates before
voting• 2004: conservatives win but lowest voter
turnout• 2009: more voter turnout but controversial
2012 Election
Policymaking
• Highly complex• Constitution vs. ruling clergy– Many amendments
• Maslahat– “reasons of state”
Political Parties• Not competitive• No huge role in politics• Coalitions and groups• Interest groups vs political parties
Major Political Parties
• Islamic Iran Participation Front• Islamic Labor Party– Formed by Khatami reformist supporters
• Servants of Reconstruction– Formed by Rafsanjani– Centrist
Leadership and Elite Recruitment
• Elites• Clergy
Interest Groups
• Islamic Association of Women• Green Coalition• Workers' House
Bureaucracy
• Role in Policy Making• Clergy• Ministers• Major Ministries
Military
• Clergy• Military• Revolutionary guard• Law Enforcement Forces of Islamic Republic of
Iran(Gendarmerie)• VEVAK
Judiciary
• Court system• Retained the Shahs court structure.
• “Independent”• Constitution• Head of the Judiciary is appointed by the Leader• The clergy are regarded as the ultimate interpreters
of the Shari'a• Law• The Penal Code• Judicial Review
Iran: Day 2
Political and Economic Trends
Islamic Revolution 1979
• Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini• Dominant ideology was religion instead of
communism• Theocracy • Islamic Fundamentalism
Iraq-Iran War of 1980
• Saddam Hussein lead Iraq• Officially began with an Iraqi land and air invasion of
western Iran • War over disputed territory
Social Movements
• Jurist’s Guardianship – Intermingling of politics with religion
• Dual society society and economy are sharply divided
Social Movements
• Cultural Revolution – Purify the country
• White Revolution Fight against Communism
Influences on Modern Political System
• People of the Book– Monotheistic people who subjected their lives to
the holy scripture.• Majles (Legislature)• Guardian Council
Pahlavis
• White Revolution – Focused on land reform– Encourage farmers to be modern entrepreneurs
• Import Substitution Industrialization
Pahlavis
• Transformed Iran into a rentier state– Heavily supported by state expenditures, while
receiving rent from other countries– Income from exporting oil and leasing out oil fields– No longer had to rely on internal taxes
Effects of Rentier State
• Transformed Iran into a one product economy• Creation of a divide in the society• Brought Globalization
Islamic Revolution and the Republic 1979-present
• Fundamentalism • Jurist Guardianship • Assembly of Religious Experts–73-man assembly of clerics elected directly
by the people
Islamic Republic
• “Economics is For Donkeys” – Khomeini’s response to questions about the economy– Said to be the reason for Iran’s inchoate economy
Islamic Republic
• Reformers v. Conservatives – Debate about the merits of a theocracy v. a
democracy • Statists v. Free-marketers– Debate about command economy v. market
economy
Globalization
• OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)
• Major trade between developed countries in the west.
Political Culture
• Government has maintained legitimacy among its people
• Requests for reforms• Iranian citizens feel oppressed compared to
other countries
Political Socialization
• Education system • Military conscription • The media
Cleavages
• Religion – Shiite vs Sunni• Ethnicity• Social class• Large differences in political views
Political Participation
• There are multiple political parties that range in the spectrum and fall under categories named above. Including – Islamic Society of Engineers– Front of Islamic Revolution Stability – Moderation and Development Party – Combatant Clergy Association – Islamic Coalition Party
Political Violence Examples
• Protests over drop in currency value • Hunger strikes led by Dervishes
Women in Politics
• Access to education • Lack of decision making abilities • There are 9 women currently in the Iranian
Cabinet– The most there have been is 13
• Protests and revolts • Shirin Ebadi
Influences on Public Policy
• Supreme leader has final say in every decision• President sets policy but parliament can
propose policy• Guardian Council
Supranational Influence
• UN• Observer of WTO• OPEC
Economic Performance
• 10% unemployment rate• Projected 35% inflation rate at end of year
Social Welfare
• Education reformed significantly since 1979• Islamic influence• Large increase in literacy rate
• Constitutional right to healthcare• 14 million below poverty line• Mostly Urban
Civil Liberties
• Violate international human rights norms– Harsh penalties for crimes and punishment of
victimless crimes• Restrictions on freedom of speech and the
press• Restrictions on freedom of religion and gender
equality• Capital punishment (high death penalty)
Environment
• Lots of air pollution• Tehran is one of the most polluted cities in the
world• Polluted Water• Garbage disposal problems
Migration
• Abundant flows of emigration and immigration
• Brain drain• Refugee haven, mainly for Afghans and Iraqis• Steep urban growth rates
Terrorism
• Cinema Rex fire (1978)• “Chain murders” – 1998• Various bombings: Mashhad & Zanedan • Jundallah - terrorist organization
Corruption
• Low government transparency • Ahmadinejad proposed to investigate
members of the legislature• Exploded during the Ahmadinejad years
Other Issues
• Nuclear power• Dramatic rise in HIV• Drug use