iran. political economy 19th century – dependent on the west – economic privileges 20th century...
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Political Economy The Shah believed wealth would trickle downTRANSCRIPT
IRAN
Political Economy
• 19th century– dependent on the west– Economic privileges
• 20th century– Oil dependence– Rentier state: exporting and leasing out natural
resources
Political Economy• The Shah believed wealth would trickle down
Political Economy
• After the Islamic revolution population growth• Strain on government resources• 1980-1988: war further strained resources• Pragmatism won in 1989: smaller families• Islamic Republic also scored some success
Governance and Policymaking
• Theocracy– A form of government in which ideally all laws are
grounded in religion and express the will of God, and the clergy exercises supreme power
• And democracy– Presidential, parliamentary, and local elections.
Organization of the state• Leader– Centre of executive, legislative, judiciary– Chosen by the Assembly of Experts
• Assembly of experts– Assembly members have to have seminary degrees and
passed religious exams drafted by the Guardian Council – Assembly can dismiss the leader if they find him incapable
• The leader can appoint and remove judges
Organization of the State
• President– Chief Executive– Elected by universal suffrage every four years– Proposes legislation to the Majles– Signs treaties– Conducts internal external policy– Appoints bureaucrats and managers of state-
owned firms
Institutions
• Parliament (the Majles)– About 290 members– Must be Muslims with five seats for other religions
• Limitations on the Majles’ legislative role.– All its bills and candidates are subject to the veto
of the Council of Guardians
Institutions
• Council of Guardians– Six members of the ulema and six lay Muslim
lawyers.– Ulema appointed by the Leader; lawyers
nominated by the Judiciary but approved by the Parliament
Institutions
• Expediency Council– “A council for determination of what is in the interest of
the regime”– arbitration of conflict– Since 1989 revision of the constitution– Leader appoints its members
Judiciary
• Shari’a Law• Local judges vs. Centralized judiciary• Moral crimes• Eye for an eye• Stoning, hanging as well as imprisonment
Presidential Elections
• 1980 first ever presidential election• The next four elections: Khomeini associates• 1997-2005 Khatami – “outsider”; appealed to those who had
been humiliated by the regime– Promised greater cultural openness and personal freedom
• 2005- Ahmedinejad• 2013- Rouhani