title layout iran. lack of arable land rich in oil earliest empire persian history islamic caliphate...

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/