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Published byAron Goodman Modified over 8 years ago
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The Geography of Iran
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Iranian Oil Resources
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History under Shah Coup & restoration White Revolution Resurgence Party: attempted totalitarianism
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1979 Islamic Revolution When the devil leaves, the angel returns!
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American Embassy in Tehran Taken Over Q9
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Revolution, con’t. Revolution of rising expectations (P 237) Goals Eliminate aspects of totalitarianism (but keep authoritarianism) Decrease western influence Decrease secularization Broad support (though led by clerics) Shah fled; Constitution of 1979
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Timeline of Key Modern Events 1979: Shah flees; Ayatollah Khomeini becomes supreme leader Constitution of 1979 establishes theocracy Iranian students seize hostages at US Embassy in Tehran 1980: Iraq declares war on Iran 1981:US hostages released 1988: cease-fire between Iran and Iraq 1989: Constitutional amendments Khomeini dies, Khamenei appointed supreme leader 1997: Reformist candidate Khatami elected president 2000:Reformers win landslide victory in parliament 2002: President Bush declares Iran to be part of “axis of evil” 2004: Conservatives regain control of parliament b/c most liberals disqualified 2005: Ahmadinejad elected president after first run-off ever 2009: Ahmadinejad re-elected in hotly contested elections; leads to massive protests and military repression
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375,000 Iraqi casualties & 60,000 POWs! Over 1,000,000 Iranian casualties!
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Another Revolution?
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Constitution Created and approved by referendum (99% “yes”) in 1979 Unitary state Blend of theocratic and democratic elements (p. 433) Codified “Islamic law” (sharia) as state law Guarantees civil liberties and rights, but… Riddled with oddities and paradoxes; it’s whatever the Supreme Leader says it is Amended in 1989 (including process for selecting leadership)
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Political Institutions:Theocratic All have exec., leg. and jud. powers Supreme Leader head of state Powers (p. 424) Guardian Council Assembly of Religious Experts (elected, but…) Expediency Council (Rafsanjani currently head ofARE and EC) Concept of jurist’s guardianship (velayat- e-faqih) p. 423-4
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Political Institutions: “democratic” President head of government: not a presidential system Formal powers (p.427-8) Majles powers (p.429-430)
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Judiciary third citadel of clerical political power” Retained old hierarchical court structure 2 distinct types of law Sharia (Islamic) Quanum (non-sacred) Judicial review, based on sharia (not Constitution)
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Political Institutions, con’t. Bureaucracy: “second stratum” of Islamic state Mostly clerics Much nepotism (and thus corruption) Semipublic institutions (“foundations”)— corruption? Military: growing influence Regular army Revolutionary Guards Basij
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Cleavages in Society Cross-cutting more than cumulative Religion Ethnicity Social class Reformers vs. conservatives Pragmatic conservatives vs. radical clerics
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Political Socialization Socialization Education system!!! (“Cultural Revolution” of early 1980s) Military Religion and religious institutions →divisive Mass media Family & social groups % of people describing themselves as “a religious person” Egypt98 Nigeria94 Jordan85 Iran82 U. S. 82 India80 Turkey75 Spain75 Mexico65 Russia 64 Germany50 Sweden33 Japan24
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Political Participation Fragmented Almost corporate in nature (para-statals) Interest groups integrated into patron-client system Impact of young people/students Workers Women
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Civil Society Difficult to distinguish between interest groups and political parties Reasons for growth of civil society despite discouragement from government Press Print: technically free, but… Electronic: controlled by gov’t. Protests and demonstrations Many student protests Worker protests Increased repression since presidential election of 2009
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Political Parties Mousavi Legal, but nonexistent until 1997 Parties are highly unstable and usually personality- based To the Left: Reformists Liberals To the Right: Conservatives Radicals “loyal opposition” tolerated
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Elections Regular and “competitive” Universal suffrage, 18 and older Typically, high voter turnout SMD, plurality system but with run-off Specific elections (pp 243-244) Presidential 1997 & 2001 (Khatami):” Tehran spring “ 2005 & 2009 (Ahmadinejad) Legislative: 2000 vs. 2004 & 2008 Why isn’t Iran a democracy?
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Political Elite Under Shah: western- oriented upper class After 1979: Shi’ia clergy Split among elite Reformers vs. conservatives Statists vs. free- marketers
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Gender Pre-1979 Since 1979 “equality with a difference” Islamic legal code Ad hoc discriminations Yet women are making gains Changing attitudes Fewer restrictions “Islamic feminism”
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Political Economy “Economics is for donkeys.” Ayatollah Khomeini State-dominated economy, but factions within clergy Oil-dependent Populism of Ahmadinejad Interface with global economy
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Public Policy Policymaking process Confusing and contradictory Tensions between factions Reformers vs. conservatives Statists and free- marketers Within clerical community Domestic policy Successes Unresolved issues Foreign Policy
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