Iranian Politics, Government, and Society

• These notes cover the key aspects of Iranian politics, government, and society

Key Institutions and Figures

• Assembly of Experts is an elected body responsible for selecting, supervising, and potentially dismissing the Supreme Leader
• Bonyads are state-controlled, wealthy charitable trusts tied to the clerical elite, dominating Iran's economy
• Principalists support conservative Islamic rule
• Reformists advocate for greater political and social freedoms
• The democratically elected institutions are the Majlis (parliament) and the President
  • These are elected by popular vote
  • These are limited by clerical oversight
• The Expediency Council mediates disputes between the Guardian Council and Majlis, and advises the Supreme Leader
• The Guardian Council consists of 12 members, vets candidates, oversees elections, and ensures laws comply with Islamic principles
• The Majlis is Iran’s 290-member parliament, which passes laws, but its decisions are subject to Guardian Council approval
• The Supreme Leader holds ultimate power, controlling the military, judiciary, and key government appointments
• Recent Iranian presidents include:
  • Khatami (reformist)
  • Ahmadinejad (hardliner)
  • Rouhani (moderate)
  • Raisi (conservative)

Political Ideology and Legitimacy

• Velayat-e Faqih is the principle that clerics should rule, justifying the Supreme Leader’s power
• The sources of political legitimacy include:
  • Theocracy based on Velayat-e Faqih (rule by clerics)
  • Elections
  • Revolutionary ideology
• Iran is a theocracy, a system where religious leaders govern

Social and Economic Factors

• Equality-with-Difference is Iran’s gender policy, granting women legal rights, but within an Islamic framework that limits full equality
• Iran is majority Persian and Shia Muslim
  • There are significant Kurdish, Azeri, and Baluchi ethnic minorities
  • There are also Sunni Muslim minorities
• The Resource Trap refers to Iran’s oil wealth leading to corruption, state dependency, and economic mismanagement

Key Political Events and Movements

• The White Revolution refers to the Shah’s 1960s modernization reforms
  • These included land redistribution and women’s rights
  • They angered clerics
• The Revolution of 1979 overthrew the Shah and established an Islamic Republic under Ayatollah Khomeini
• The Green Movement was a 2009 protest movement against alleged election fraud in Ahmadinejad’s re-election

Structure of Government

• The Supreme Leader (head of state) holds ultimate power
• The President (head of government) manages domestic policies but is subordinate to the Supreme Leader
• Iran is a unitary state, meaning power is centralized, rather than divided among regional governments

Challenges and Issues

• Economic Sanctions are restrictions placed on Iran’s economy by the U.S. and others, often due to nuclear ambitions and human rights concerns
• Human Rights in Iran are limited by theocratic rule
  • Issues include restrictions on free speech, press, and women's rights
• Legacy of Imperialism from British and U.S. intervention (e.g., 1953 coup against Mosaddeq) shaped Iran’s anti-Western policies

Key Organizations and Laws

• The Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) is a powerful military force loyal to the Supreme Leader
  • It controls large parts of Iran’s economy and security
• Sharia Law is the Islamic legal system governing Iran’s laws and judiciary

Historical Context

• Mosaddeq was Iran’s prime minister (1951–53)
• He led the National Front (pro-democracy)
• He was opposed by the Tudeh (communist) party