Iran Take Home Test Questions

Iran and China share which of the following institutional arrangements? a. Federal division of power which give localities formal and entrenched powers over the central government b. A single-party rule c. Competitive elections involving multiple parties d. A national assembly with only limited power to oversee the executive and enact laws e. A president who serves for life unless removed by a popularly elected assembly

A national assembly with only limited power to oversee the executive and enact laws

Unlike Mexico, Iran has NOT experienced which of the following? a. Underdevelopment of the economy b. A recent move toward liberal democracy c. The economic benefits of finding oil d. Overpopulation, especially in rural regions e. Student uprisings protesting elections and unpopular decisions

A recent move toward liberal democracy

Which of the following statements about the 2009 presidential election is incorrect? a. The incumbent president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, had the support of the Supreme Leader. b. The main opposition was Mir Hossein Moussavi, a reformer c. The election results announcing the incumbent president as the winner were widely viewed as fraudulent d. After the Supreme Leader's pronouncement of the winner, Moussavi continued to challenge the results e. A second round of elections was required as no candidate received the required majority.

A second round of elections was required as no candidate received the required majority.

Which of the following statements best characterizes the Iranian Revolution? a. A prolonged uprising based on guerrilla warfare in the countryside b. A bloodless coup d'état that installed a repressive military regime c. A strategy of terrorist attacks in Tehran and other urban centers d. A short, relatively nonviolent upheaval supported by the middle class e. A war of national independence against a colonial power

A short, relatively nonviolent upheaval supported by the middle class

Iran's Revolution of 1979 was different from 20th century revolutions in Russia, China and Mexico because it resulted in

A theocracy

The current Supreme Leader of Iran is

Ali Khamanei

Which of the following is not a correct statement about the Expediency Council? a. Created by constitutional amendment in 1988 to resolve differences between Majlis and Guardian Council b. All members required to be clerics c. Members appointed by Supreme Leader d. Current chair is Ahmad Jannati e. Comparable to the Politburo in the former Soviet Union in terms of political power

All members required to be clerics

Which of the following is the best example of charismatic authority? a. David Cameron b. Vicente Fox c. Margaret Thatcher d. Mohammed Khatami e. Ayatollah Khomeini

Ayatollah Khomeini

The top two minority ethnic groups in Iran are

Azeri and Kurds

Which of the following religions is not guaranteed a seat in the Majlis? a. Jews b. Northern Armenians c. Assyrian and Chaldean Christians d. Bahai e. Zoroastrians

Bahai

Parastatal foundations or charitable trusts which operate largely outside of government supervision and which provide money to the poor, war veterans, and other disadvantaged groups supporting the Islamic Republic, handling about 20% of Iran's GDP and often criticized for corruption, are known as

Bonyads

Which of the following statements is correct? a. Both Mexico and Iran were able to overthrow colonial occupation b. Both Mexico and Iran are rentier economies c. Both Mexico and Iran have transitioned from single party dominance to competitive party systems of elections d. Both Mexico and Iran have been subjected to trade sanctions because of their governmental policies e. Both the government of Mexico and the government of Iran have been controlled by religious entities

Both Mexico and Iran have been subjected to trade sanctions because of their governmental policies

Which of the following is not a correct comparison of the Cultural Revolution of China in the 1960's and the Cultural Revolution in Iran in the 1980's? a. Both targeted teachers and educational institutions as oppositional b. Both were attempts to revitalize the popular spirit of their respective political revolutions c. Both focused on reverence for their respective charismatic leaders, Mao and the Ayatollah Khomeini d. Both focused on respect for their long cultural histories and importance of the peasant as the foundation of society e. Both promoted societal conformity to government established norms

Both focused on respect for their long cultural histories and importance of the peasant as the foundation of society

Which of the following is not a similarity between the sources of Iran's Supreme Leader and China's head of state? a. Both are appointed by other governmental bodies b. Both possess legitimacy through a written constitution c. Both proclaim democratic centralism as source of legitimacy d. Both claim power through a revolutionary legacy e. Both have military support as a source of political authority

Both proclaim democratic centralism as source of legitimacy

After the 1953 coup, the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company was restricted and became

British Petroleum

Which of the following statements about elections for the Majlis is incorrect? a. Elected by MMDs and SMDs in a two-round electoral system b. Candidates are required to receive a majority to win any seat c. Candidates not receiving at least 25% of the vote face a second round or run-off d. In an SMD election, the number of candidates in a run-off is two e. In an MMD election, the number of candidates in a run-off is one and a half times the number of available seats.

Candidates are required to receive a majority to win any seat

In structure, the Majlis is most comparable to the legislature in

China

Iran has one of the highest execution rates in the world, second only to

China

The current role of the military in Iran is most similar to the role of the military as seen in

China

A theocracy is best described as a political system based on

Clerical authority

Which presidential power is not one possessed by Iran's president? a. Commander in chief b. Appointment of cabinet c. Appointment of ambassadors d. Introduction of legislation e. Chief economic advisor

Commander in chief

The most important single document that legitimizes the state in Iran today is the

Constitution of 1979

The constitutional revolution of 1905-1906 was sparked primarily by its followers' belief that Qajar shahs were

Controlled too much by European imperialists

The resource curse is the theory that

Economies that have valuable natural resources will develop more slowly

Which of the following terms most accurately describes the current Iranian government's policies about women? a. Patrimonial b. Guardianship c. Equality with a difference d. Full political, social and economic equality

Equality with a difference

Which of the following is an incorrect statement about Shia Islam? a. Followers believe imams are the true leaders of the faith b. An ayatollah is similar to a bishop in Catholicism c. First Shia imam was Abu Bakr d. Last of the imams was the Mahdi, the hidden or 12th imam who will return at the end of the world e. Leadership was to pass through son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed, Ali

First Shia imam was Abu Bakr

The political party system in Iran may be best characterized as

Fluid and unstable with multiple parties forming broad coalitions

Which of the following statements about the Green Revolution in Iran is incorrect? a. The Supreme Leader blamed the West for the protests b. The size and scope of the protests was minimized by the state-run media c. International press was prohibited from covering unauthorized protests d. Green was the color of the Ahmadinejad campaign and became the color protest unity e. Moussavi protesters were challenged by pro-Ahmadinejad protesters

Green was the color of the Ahmadinejad campaign and became the color protest unity

The body responsible for vetting potential candidates for popularly elected offices is the

Guardian Council

Current head of government of Iran is

Hassan Rouhani

Which of the following is an incorrect statement about the most revered leader of Shia Islam? a. His name was Hussayn b. Grandson of the Prophet Mohammed c. Most important holiday is Ashura commemorating this leader's death d. This leader died at Karbala, one of the holiest cities in Shia Islam e. He is known as the Mahdi

He is known as the Mahdi

Which of the following are bodies or offices that are directly elected by the people of Iran? I. Majlis II. Guardian Council III. Assembly of Religious Experts IV. President

I,III,IV ONLY

Which of the following describes sources of political legitimacy in China and Iran? a. Tribal kinship ties in China and pastoralist agricultural traditions in Iran b. Participatory institutions in China and technocratic governance in Iran c. Charismatic leadership in china and military prestige in Iran d. Ideology and economic performance in China and religious authority in Iran e. Bureaucratic efficiency in China and political and civil freedoms in Iran

Ideology and economic performance in China and religious authority in Iran

Iran was turned into a rentier state during the 20th century because of

Increasing income from oil

Which of the following statements about the Iran-Iraq War is incorrect? a. Saddam Hussein, a Sunni Muslim, felt threatened by Iran's 1979 revolution establishing a Shia theocracy b. Iran, following international revolutionary goals, invaded Iraq c. About two-thirds of Iraqi Muslims are Shia d. United States supplied arms to Saddam Hussein in Iraq e. The war ended in a stalemate

Iran, following international revolutionary goals, invaded Iraq

Which of the following is not true of qanun law? a. It is subject to approval by Guardian Council b. It is known as "the People's Law" c. It is subject to approval by Supreme Leader d. It supersedes shari'a law e. Represents statutory laws passed by the Majlis

It supersedes shari'a law

Supreme Leader is given all-encompassing authority over the whole community based on the ability to understand the shari'a. This authority is called

Jurist's guardianship

Conservatives in Iran are best defined as citizens that want to

Keep clerics in control of the government

The method of selection of Majlis representatives most closely resembles the selection of legislators in which nation?

Mexico

When the Shah of Iran founded the Resurgence Party in 1975 he envisioned a party system most comparable to that of

Mexico under PRI control

Which of the following has not been a significant political issue for the Islamic Republic of Iran? a. Lengthy war with Iraq b. Unstable oil prices c. World opposition to nuclear program d. Moderate reformists challenge conservative power e. Militant activities of Sunni Muslims and Zoroastrians

Militant activities of Sunni Muslims and Zoroastrians

Which of the following statements comparing China and Iran is a true statement? a. Iran is a federal system and China is a unitary system of government. b. Iran has a bicameral legislature and China has a unicameral legislature. c. China allows women access to formal education but Iran does not. d. China allows competitive elections for the national legislature but Iran does not. e. Military forces are under the control of the head of state in both Iran and China.

Military forces are under the control of the head of state in both Iran and China.

All of the following statements are true about the 1953 coup of Prime Minister Mossadeq except: a. Code name for the mission was Operation Ajax b. The coup was directed by Kermit Roosevelt c. Mission was approved by President Eisenhower d. Done at the behest of the CIA and State Department, headed by the Dulles brothers and led to future overthrows in other countries by the United States e. Mission had been rejected by President FDR

Mission had been rejected by President FDR

The iconic face of the Green Movement protests was

Neda

Which of the following is not a correct description of a function of the Guardian Council? a. Monitors elections b. Supervises the Majlis c. Oversees votes of no confidence against cabinet and President d. Approves or vetoes legislation passed by the Majlis e. Vetting candidates for public elections

Oversees votes of no confidence against cabinet and President

Which of the following statements about Iran's nuclear programme is incorrect? a. Economic sanctions imposed by the UN crippled the Iranian economy b. Stuxnet virus stalled the development of her centrifuges c. P5 + 1 are the 5 major Middle East nations plus the United States d. United States promoted the nuclear program in Iran during the 1950's as part of Atoms for Peace program e. International Atomic Energy Association [IAEA] with 168 member states, including Iran, have agreed to promote the safe and peaceful use of nuclear technology

P5 + 1 are the 5 major Middle East nations plus the United States

Prior to 1935 Iran was known as

Persia

Which of the following socioeconomic groups has been most likely to criticize clerical control of the Islamic Republic? a. Lower class farmers b. Lower middle class white collar workers c. Wealthy merchants d. Professional upper middle class people e. Retired workers on fixed incomes

Professional upper middle class people

Which of the following was not one of the policies of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? a. Populism b. Service programs to aid the poor c. Confrontation with the United States d. Promotion of the Arab Spring movements e. Emphasize development of nuclear programme

Promotion of the Arab Spring movements

Which of the following is not a source of political legitimacy established by the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran? a. Shari'a law b. Charismatic leadership of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini c. Qajar dynasty d. Allah e. Popular elections

Qajar dynasty

The vision of Iranian clergy who tend to agree with reformers that the clergy should not be so involved with governing the state as it violates fundamental principles of Shia Islam is known as

Quietist

Which of the following was not a true statement about the White Revolution? a. A major focus of the reforms was land reform b. Reforms were authorized by the Shah in order to Westernize his nation c. State-owned businesses were privatized to stimulate efficiency and profitability in the economy d. The reforms were contested by the Iranian clergy as an abandonment of traditional Islamic values e. Reforms were economic and agricultural in nature, and did not affect the status of women

Reforms were economic and agricultural in nature, and did not affect the status of women

Of the following nations, which is most similar to Iran in terms of civil society? a. Britain b. Russia c. China d. Mexico

Russia

The elections for President in Iran are most similar to the election for the leader in

Russia

Which of the following statements is correct? a. The presidents of China, Russia and Iran are all heads of state b. The legislatures of China, Russia and Iran are all unicameral c. The presidents of China, Mexico, Russia and Iran are all the commander-in-chief of the armed forces d. Russia, China, Mexico and Iran do not have vice presidential offices e. The presidents of China, Mexico and Iran all have two term limits

Russia, China, Mexico and Iran do not have vice presidential offices

The Shah's repressive secret police force was known as

Savak

In Iran, the concept of jurist' guardianship states that

Senior clerics have authority over the entire community

Fundamentalist religion as defined by the Ayatollah Khomeini was characterized by all of the following except a. Social conservatism b. Separation of political and religious power c. Literal interpretation of Islamic texts d. Resentment of the US and other western nations e. Political traditionalism

Separation of political and religious power

The Safavid rulers introduced to Iran for the first time

Shi'ia Islam as the official state religion

The Retribution Law is a good example of

Strict interpretation of the shari'a law

In Iran the Chief Justice is appointed by the

Supreme Leader

Which figure in the Iranian political system is the leading jurist who has the final say in interpreting the meaning of religious documents? a. Chief judge of the Supreme Court b. President c. Supreme Leader d. Speaker of the Majlis e. Chairman of the Guardian Council

Supreme Leader

All of the following are policies the Iranian government has used to address population growth concerns/issues in the last 20 years except a. Government offering increasing education and employment options to encourage women to enter the labor force and thereby lowering birth rates b. Increased access to and free birth control c. Family planning laws to encourage reduction in family size d. State media campaigns to raise public consciousness of population growth issues e. Tax penalties imposed on families with more than three children

Tax penalties imposed on families with more than three children

The capital of Iran is

Tehran

In the past 20 years all of the following statements correctly reference tensions in Iran EXCEPT a. Green Movement protests b. Tensions between the Majlis and the judicial branch c. Factionalism within the religious experts d. Institutional tensions between popularly elected offices and appointed clerical ofices e. Tensions between the Supreme Leader and the President

Tensions between the Majlis and the judicial branch

Reformists' attempts to return to power in presidency and/or Majlis have been most hindered by

The Guardian Council

Which of the following have veto power over legislation passed by the Majlis? a. The Assembly of Religious Experts and the Expediency Council b. The Assembly of Religious Experts and the Guardian Council c. The Guardian Council and the Supreme Leader d. The Guardian Council and the President e. The President and the Supreme Leader

The Guardian Council and the Supreme Leader

The coalition reformist group of the late 1990's was known as

The Second Khordad Front

With regard to human rights in Iran, the Iranian government has acted in which of the following ways? a. The government mandates that women only have one child b. The government targets and imprisons political opponents c. The government protects the religious rights of Baha'is d. The government supports gay rights and women's rights e. The government banned executions during the presidency of Ahmadinejad

The government targets and imprisons political opponents

Which of the following statements is most accurate about the middle class in Iran? a. The middle class in Iran consists mainly of clerics and other religious officials. b. The middle class in Iran is culturally westernized and often hostile to the clergy. c. The middle class in Iran is very small and found in predominantly rural areas. d. The middle class in Iran controls the media and is very influential in national decision making.

The middle class in Iran is culturally westernized and often hostile to the clergy.

Which of the following statements about Iran's military forces is incorrect? a. Qods forces operate outside the country supporting militant factions operating against the state of Israel b. Basij are volunteer militia enforcing shari'a law on the streets and controlling anti-government protests c. Revolutionary Guards are the personal military forces of the Supreme Leader d. The regular armed forces were established by the Ayatollah Khomeini after the 1979 revolution and protect the Iranian national borders e. The majority of the regular army are draftees

The regular armed forces were established by the Ayatollah Khomeini after the 1979 revolution and protect the Iranian national borders

Which of the following is a feature of the Iranian political system? a. Male suffrage only b. The President must also be a cleric c. The religious character of the state d. The diplomatic recognition only of Muslim states e. Having a Supreme Religious Leader, a Prime Minister and a President

The religious character of the state

The split between Sunni and Shi'i Muslims originated in an argument over

The rightful heir to lead Islam after the Prophet Mohammed died

Which is the best description of statists as a faction in Iran? a. They want to remove price controls, lower business taxes, encourage private enterprise and balance the budget b. They believe that the political system needs significant reform, and they tend to advocate some degree of international involvement c. They believe that the legislative branch of government should have more power than it has now, and that the president should have less d. They believe that the government should take an active role in controlling the economy, including redistribution of land and wealth e. They support the government as it is now, and are wary of influence from western nations

They believe that the government should take an active role in controlling the economy, including redistribution of land and wealth

Which of the following is the most accurate description of the Revolutionary Guards? a. They form a supra constitutional body that can initiate legislation on its own b. They are the top advisors to the Supreme Leader c. They have replaced the regular armed forces as the defenders of Iran's borders d. They have special powers in applying the principle of jurist's guardianship e. They form a parallel force to the regular armed forces with its own budgets, weapons and uniforms

They form a parallel force to the regular armed forces with its own budgets, weapons and uniforms

Which of the following statements about Shiite Muslims is incorrect? a. They represent approximately 75% of Iranian Muslims b. They disagree with Sunni Muslims as to the legacy of leadership in the religion c. They bestow temporary leadership of the religion in clerics known as ulama d. The highest rank in the class of priests known as ulama is the ayatollah e. They honor the 12th descendant of the prophet Mohammad as the true leader of Islam

They represent approximately 75% of Iranian Muslims

The regime in Iran by the end of Muhammad Reza Shah's rule is best described as a

Totalitarian dictatorship

The Iranian political culture is characterized by all of the following except a. Totalitarianism b. Authoritarianism c. Union of political and religious authority d. Shi'ism as a central component e. Limited amounts of aerable land

Totalitarianism

54. Communist Party of Iran, banned by the government, operates in exile, and is the

Tudeh Party

Which of the following statements about the overthrow of Mohammed Mossadeq is an incorrect statement? a. The UK sought the help of the United States in overthrowing the Prime Minister b. The coup was a direct consequence of the nationalization of the oil industry by the Iranian government c. U.S. President authorized the mission because of the alleged connection between Mossadeq and communism d. Prime Minister Mossadeq received support in the United Nations for his government's actions, as a third world nation challenging the dominant world powers e. The mission reinstalled Reza Shah Pahlevi as Iranian leader

U.S. President authorized the mission because of the alleged connection between Mossadeq and communism

Which of the following is not a power of the Iranian president? a. Devising the budget b. Proposing legislation to the Majlis c. Signing of treaties, laws, and agreements d. Vetoing decisions of the Guardian Council e. Appointing provincial governors

Vetoing decisions of the Guardian Council

Which of the following is the best description of women's involvement in national politics in Iran? a. Iran has had no women presidents, but women are much better represented in the legislature than they once were b. Iran has had many women cabinet members and legislators for many years c. Iran has good representation of women in government on the local and state levels, but not on the national levels d. Iran has had women judges that sit on national courts, but they have few women legislators e. Women are largely underrepresented in every area of government in Iran

Women are largely underrepresented in every area of government in Iran

Which of the following statements about the Iranian Majlis is incorrect? a. It is a unicameral legislature b. There are 290 members elected in a system of both SMDs and MMDs c. 5 seats are reserved for specific religious minorities: Christians (3), Zoroastrians (1) and Jews (1) d. conservatives were returned to control in the Majlis in the February 2016 elections e. directly elected by universal suffrage, 18 years and older

conservatives were returned to control in the Majlis in the February 2016 elections

Which of the following are most closely associated with authoritarian regimes? a. regular and open elections for public office b. governmental transparency and open communications c. diverse groups of political elites exercising power d. constitutional separation of power e. restrictions placed on civil rights and personal freedoms

restrictions placed on civil rights and personal freedoms

Iran is an example of which of the following systems of government?

unitary