Title Layout

IRAN

Lack of Arable LandRich in oilEarliest EmpirePersian HistoryIslamic CaliphateTheocracy

“Developing”

Sources of LegitimacyAyatollah Khomeini

Revolution of 1979

Constitution and Amendments• Faith in God

• Divine Justice

• The Qu’ran

• Prophet Muhammad

• 12 Imams

• Hidden Imam

• Jurist’s Guardianship

Influence of Religion• Zoroastrianism = monotheistic belief; Judaism, Christianity, Islam

– Preference for People of the Book

• Highly centralized and authoritarian leadership

• Arab invaders brought Islam to Persia

• Imams = heirs of Muhammad, leaders of Islam, clerics– Sunni – those who followed selected leaders– Shia – those who descended from Ali

• Hidden Imam = 12th Imam who disappeared as a child

• Theocracy = rulers in Iran work lead while they await return of Hidden Imam

Changes in Politics4 Eras

• 1501-1722– Safavids

• 1794-1925– Qajars

• 1925-1979– Pahlavis

• 1979-present– Islamic Republic

Islamic Revolution• Disillusionment with the Shah

• Revolution of Rising Expectations

• Charisma of the Ayatollah

• 1979 Constitution

• 1989 Amendments

• Cultural Revolution

• Tehran Spring

• Jurist’s Guardianship

Society in IranCleavages • Religion

• Ethnicity

• Social Class

• Reformer vs. Conservative

• Pragmatic Conservative vs. Radical Clerics

Civil and Political• No real civil society

• No real participation

• Growing youth population

• Crackdowns on speech

• Disenfranchised vote

• Equality-with-difference

• Dealing with the West

Iran/Greece

Mosadeq/Reza Shah

Ahmadinejad/Rouhani

WESTvs.

EAST

Political InstitutionsElections• Vote for 3 secular positions

• Reformists candidates have been banned

• Back-and-forth leadership

• Opinion polls unreliable

• Fraud and illegitimacy

• Modest reform president– Hassan Rhouhani

Interest Groups/Media

• No real influence from parties– Mojahedin

• No real difference between parties and interest groups

• No real power of interests

• Non-political media

Government InstitutionsSupreme Leader Faqih, Imam of Community,

Head of StateNominate, dismiss, judge, declare war, commander

Guardian Council 6 from Supreme Leader6 from Majles

Jurist’s guardianship, review laws, disqualify candidates

Assembly of Religious Experts

Upper house? 86 men, direct election, 4 year terms, seminary degree

Broad constitutional interpretation

Expediency Council 32 members, selected by Supreme Leader

Settles disputes between Guardian Council and Majles

Executive President – Head of Gov, directly elected, Cabinet – day-today work, Bureaucracy – head para-statals

Devise budget, supervise economy, propose legislation, appoint local officials, chair NCSBonyads = services to poor

Majles Unicameral legislature, direct election, 290 seats

Select 6 to Guard. Coun., enact law, interpret, investigate executive, approve budget

Judiciary Appointed by Sup. Lead., 5 year term, familiar with Sharia

Chief runs courts, harsh retribution

Military Parallel forces, Rev. Guard, Basij Police, nuclear, Ghord = engineers

Public Policy Issues• Highly Complex – many can originate or block legislation

• Cross-cutting factions– Conservative vs. Reformists– Statists vs. Free-marketers

• Qom = city of scholars, separation of church and state

• Economics – improve standard of living without destroying Islam– Elites are tied to oil while clergy to traditions– People dependent on subsidies, state dependent on oil

• International sanctions• Dropping oil prices• Drop in rial• Inflation

• From large to small families– Young population

Foreign RelationsSupports Shiism throughout Middle East

• Ahmadinejad–“Holocaust is a

myth”–“Israel wiped away”

• Rouhani– Join WTO–Stop Brain Drain

• Bush– “Axis of evil”– “must be held

accountable”

• Obama– Willingness to turn a new

page– Negotiate nuclear deal

Videos

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQdhmsw-hvc

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnmdU_6sLUY

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAzQwwS-mCY

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8bC1DEYbI4

• http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/u-s-relations-with-iran-35-years-after-hostage-crisis/