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April 2 – Cleavages and Factions
Agenda: Country Briefs Debrief: Rick Steve’s Iran Reading: “At Home…” Cleavages and Political Factions Homework: Read and be prepared to discuss articles: “How far will Iran's hardliners go to stop Rouhani?” “Iran’s First Great Satan Was England” Take Out: Notebook Country Matrix Pen/Pencil Goals: Investigate the divisions that exist within Iran
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Debrief: Rick Steve’s Iran
Discuss the following questions with your neighbor, and write answers in your notebook: What stood out to you? What social aspects of Iran were addressed? What paradoxical came to light? Where do opposites exist within Iran? What did you see regarding political culture and participation? What cleavages seem to exist?
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Reading: “At Home, Tehran Deals With a Restive Arab Minority”
Read the article “At Home, Tehran Deals With a Restive Arab Minority” and answer the following questions in your notebook: How is Iran’s behavior toward other Arab countries a “contradiction”? Who are labeled as “terrorists”? What are they fighting for? How does the country deal with these individuals/groups? What major cleavage(s) does the article illustrate? Given the information (and what you already know), what other cleavages can we assume exist in Iran?
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Cleavages 3 – Social Class 1 – Ethnicity: 2 – Religion
Closely tied to religion and language Geographical concerns (Azeri’s in North) 2 – Religion Constitution “recognizes” religious minorties Many – especially Baha’i – have been persecuted 3 – Social Class Lower class tend to support the regime – social benefits/religion Upper-middle and upper class largely secularized - critical of clerics Middle class have faltered economically – disillusioned by the regime 4 – Political Factions Conservatives v. Reformers Theocracy v. Democracy and secularization
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FACTIONS Iran has dozens of political parties, but they don’t really matter (for our purposes) Ideologically the government is generally divided into well-established FACTIONS The struggle among these groups is to decide the question of how an Islamic republic should run Unfortunately, it’s much more complicated than it sounds
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Factions in Iran DIVIDE OVER FACTIONS Public Policy Making Reformists
Conservatives ECONOMY Free-market Statist ROLE OF ISLAM in Society ROLE OF ISLAM within Clerics Quietists Principalists ECONOMY and POLITICS MERGE for Clerics Pragmatists Radicals/Hardliners
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Conservatives or Hardliners: Khomeini, Khamenei, Ahmadinejad
Recognize Ayatollah Khomeini’s legacy as the true path for the Islamic Republic. Advocate social conservatism in accordance with Islamic Fundamentalism and Sharia law Believe in heavy state control of the economy Generally eschew flashy materialism and trappings of wealth, seeing these as related to decadent Western values Embrace anti-Western sentiment and extreme anti-Americanism. Believe that only a divinely chosen few are worthy of leading the Islamic Republic. Enjoy appeal among lower classes, who tend to be more religious and suspicious of the West. Supported by clerics, the security services, and a merchant class with ties to powerful clerics known as the bazaari.
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Pragmatists: Rafsanjani
This group is slightly more to the Left of the Hardliners, in the middle of the political spectrum. Tend to celebrate the country’s Persian, pre-Islamic past as a reference point for Iranian power and stature. Technocratic, embracing modernity and advocating for Iran’s economic development through private industry, free markets, and economic liberalization. More internationalist, seeing contact with the West as key to Iran’s development. Pro-globalization and more realist in foreign policy. Open to some social, political, and cultural liberalization, not as fearful of Western influences and modernization.
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Reformists: Khatami, Rouhani
Also known as the Islamic Left, embracing socialist egalitarian economic policies and more representative government. Seek to soften government positions on culture and roll back strict Islamic laws regarding dress, speech, and association. Tend to appeal to educated youth, intellectuals, and women. Believe the secular arms of government should prevail over the clerical and that the legitimacy of leaders is related to their mandate given by the electorate, not God. Open to rapprochement with the international community as a path to Iran’s economic development.
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Factional Struggles Iran’s post-Revolutionary period is divided into eras characterized by leadership of one faction or another: : uncertainty as different factions jockeyed for power : era dominated by Khomeini: conservatism : Rafsanjani: pragmatism : Khatami: reformism : Ahmadinejad: conservatism 2013-present: Rouhani: reformist tendencies… but we shall see Despite these different political eras having existed, at no time since 1979 has the overall hegemony of political, religious, and social conservatives been significantly reduced in Iran.
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1981 1997 2009 1989 2005 Presidents of Iran Rafsanjani Khatami
Ahmadinejad Rouhani 1981 1997 2009 1989 2005 Khamenei
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But It’s still not that simple… factions Divide over ISSUES AS Well
Public Policy Making Reformists Conservatives ECONOMY Free-market Statist ROLE OF ISLAM in Society ROLE OF ISLAM within Clerics Quietists Principalists ECONOMY and POLITICS MERGE for Clerics Pragmatists Radicals/Hardliners
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Public Policy: economy
Statists Government active role Policy goals include: Redistribute land Redistribute wealth Eliminate unemployment Finance Social Welfare Programs Price restrictions on Consumer goods Free-marketers Similar Market principles to the US Liberal Economic Policies Remove price controls Lower business taxes Encourage private enterprise Balance the budget NOTE: Both factions are aligned in limiting the power of the democracy
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Public Policy: Clerical Role in Economy and Politics
Radicals Hardliners Extreme supporters of Islamic Revolution Redistribute wealth Greater role in economy Opposed reconciliation Younger more militant clerics Enhance social justice Pragmatists Traditionalists Non-fanatic Islamic Republic – “politics corrupt faith” Free market, foreign trade, private property Improve relations with the west Bazaari ties Rural landowners
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How they played into the populace
1997 – Khatami calls for greater democracy – Reformists begin Led by intellectuals and young people Tehran Spring – political liberalization, more open economy, opening of civil society 1999 – University protests, hundreds arrested and killed 2004 – Hardliners Strike back reformists banned – elections boycotted Election 2005 Rafsanjani and Ahmadinejad Rafsanjani suffered from being unable to organize reformist vote behind him
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Public Policy: Policy-Making Factions
Reformists international involvement with West Political leaders do not have to be clerics Less supervision of society Fewer powers to Guardian Council Open elections Conservatives principles of regime Against modernization Wary of west Support right of clerics to run the political system
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Election 2009? Reformists (Moussavi) v. Hardliners (Ahm) OVERLAP Pragmatists (Rafsanjani) v. Hardliners (Ahm) AND Disrupted those who control behind the scenes.
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Food for thought Discuss the following with your partner, and then write a response in your notebook: What impact does this factionalism have on the people of Iran? How do you think they react to the changes that take place as a result of these struggles?
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