Iran AP COGO

Explain the concept of jurist's guardianship (velayat-e faqih).

Iranian clergy rule on grounds that they are the divinely appointed guardians of law and people

Majles

Iranian parliament

The Majles is the _____________________, but bills do not become law unless the Guardian Council deems them compatible with ______________________.

Islam and constitution

Political parties were not encouraged until _____________ was elected president in 1997.

Khatami

. Briefly contrast President Khatami with President Ahmadinejad. How does this contrast illustrate modern Iranian politics?

Khatami liberalized press, established new parties, and initiated dialogue of civilizations with west. Ahmadinejad denounced west and took hard line on relations.

What led to the taking of the U.S. embassy hostages?

Khomeini denouncing US embassy as "Den of spies" after Bazargen threatened to submit his own constitution to public

In the second decade after the revolution, what serious problems did the clerics face?

Khomeini's death removed presence, Ali Khamenei lacked credentials, fall in oil prices, ideological crisis

Which groups supported protests and rallies against the shah's regime?

National Front, Lawyer's, Doctor's, and Women's associations, Tudeh Party, Fedayin, Marxist guerrilla group, Mojahedin

Ayatollah

"sign of god", high ranking cleric in Iran

Foundation of the Oppressed & Martyrs Foundation - assets and employment:

$12 billion assets,employ over 400,000 people

When the Safavid Dynasty conquered Iran, what did they forcibly covert their subjects to?

Shi'ism

Role of Religion:

Shi'ism is official religion

Term limit?

2 terms

The Majles has _______ members and is __________ by citizens over the age of eighteen.

290, elected

Under the shah, Iran became the _____________________-most-important member of OPEC.

2nd

Iran is the _________ largest oil producer in the Middle East and _________largest in the world.

2nd, 4th

Term length?

4 yrs

What percentage of the population speaks Farsi as a first language? ________

51%

They now form _______% of college students, ________% of doctors, ________% of government employees, and ________% of the general labor force

54%, 45%, 25%, 30%

Nevertheless, about ________ % of the Iranian economy continued to be under state control.

70%

What percentage of the population can communicate in Farsi? _______

90%

Because of its Persian heritage...Iranians do not consider themselves to be part of the _____________world.

Arab

Which religious minorities are not protected under the constitution?

Armenian Christians, Baha'is, Sunnis

How did Khomeini and his prime minister, Bazargan, differ on their views toward what the constitution should look like?

Bazargan wanted democratic, but Khomeini overruled

Iran after 9/11 What changed Iran's willingness to cooperate with the U.S.?

Bush naming Iran as part of an "Axis of Evil"

Who are Iran's recognized religious minorities? ____ % of the population

Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians.1%

Iran has regular elections for the presidency and the Majles, but the ________________________determines who can run.

Guardian Council

The constitution promises free elections. What are some obstacles in Iran to fair elections?

Guardian Council with powers to approve all candidates

The constitution gives wide-ranging judicial powers to the Leader and the clergy. Bills passed by the Majles are reviewed by the ________________________ to ensure that they conform to the ___________________

Guardian Council, shari'a

Supreme Leader

Head of Islamic Republic of Iran

Why are elections, especially with high voter turnout, important for Iran's regime?

Iran likes to boast about mass participation,

Who was Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and how was his version of Shi'ism different?

a leading opposition cleric, was labeled islamic fundamentalism/political Islam

Most of Iran's territory is inhospitable to ________________________.

agriculture

What steps did each of the following presidents take to reduce the role of the state in governing the economy? Reformist President Khatami:

allowed privatization in some economy and relaunched stock market to sell shares to private

Describe how oil revenues resulted in consequences that contributed to the Islamic Revolution.

allowed shah to pursue programs that widened class within dual society, made rentier state independent of society

How did each of the following help consolidate the shah's power? SAVAK

armed forces supplemented by them

Describe how the penal code, or Retribution Law, contradicts the UN Charter on Human Rights

based on reading of Shari'a so narrow, permits injured families to demand blood money , eye for eye, mandates death penalty, divides pop into male and female and muslims and non muslims, treat them diffrently

Requirements?

between ages of 25 and 75, demonstrate admin capacity and resourcefulness, good past record

How is the Supreme Leader selected?

by 86 member Assembly of Experts

How did Khomeini's policies make it difficult for his successors to normalize relations with the West?

calling for revolutions, strengthened navy, launched research program for missiles, services to assassinate west leaders

What are some other powers it has?

choose 6/12 Guardian Council members, investigate cabinet ministers, affairs, public complaints, withold approval for gov budgets

The ______________ dominate the bureaucracy as well as the presidency.

clergy

Four out of the six presidents have been what? _________________

clerics

Who directs them?

clerics

What role do foundations play in Iran?

commemorate White Revolution

The National Front:

committed to nationalism and secularism

Identify the powers of the president:

conduct country's internal and external policies, chair National Security Council, draw annual budget, supervise economic matters, chair the state planning and budget organization, propose legislation to the Majles, appoint cabinet ministers, appoint most other senior offcials

Identify the purpose of each of the following ministries: Culture and Islamic Guidance:

controls media and enforcing proper conduct in public life

Define rentier state:

country that gets revenue from export of oil

Guardian Council

created in Iranian constitution to oversee Majles

Resurgence Party

declared under one party, exile those refusing

Identify the role of each of the following: Regular army:

defends external borders

Iran is a mixture of theocracy and _______________________.

democracy

The Pahlavis (1925-1979) How did Reza Khan come to power? How did his son, Muhammad Reza Shah, come to power

did a coup d'etat, crowned self shah-inshah, abdicated for Muhammad Reza Shah

The Qajars (1794-1925) Identify key elements of the Constitution of 1906; Introduced:

elections, separation of powers, laws by legislative assembly, popular sovereignty

Conservative President Ahmadinejad:

endorsed privatization, program to give justice shares of state-owned industries to low income citizens

The Islamic Revolution (1979) List the grievances against the shah led to the 1979 revolution.

establishment of military dictatorship, collabing with CIA, trampling constitution, creating SAVAK, organizing one-party state, taking over religious establishment, undermining national identity by disseminating West culture.

Special treatment?

exempt from state taxes, allocated foreign currencies and highly favorable exchange rates

Reconstruction:

expand social services and take "true islam" to countryside

What other groups have grievances with the government?

factory workers

Islam is the _____________________ religion in the world.

fastest growing

In what ways has the Islamic Republic had economic success?

fastest growing economy in world, prosperous farms

In the first decade after the revolution, what factors helped the clerics consolidate power?

few people could challenge popularity of Khomeini, invasion of Iran by Hussein rallied Iran population behind homeland, international petroleum prices shot up, sustaining oil revenue.

What economic problems did this, along with a population explosion, create?

foreign investors put off by gov corruption, labor costs, fear of confiscation

Foundation of the Oppressed:

foundation made after Iran Revolution

Civil liberties

freedom of expression and association

Define Assembly of Experts

group that nominates and can remove Supreme Leader

How have the following groups been persecuted? Armenian Christians:

had to end coeducational classes, adopt gov curriculum, abide by Muslim dress

What does Iran have in common with China in terms of the judicial system?

high number and per capita of executions

The president is described as the ____________ state official after the Supreme Leader.

highest

Describe Iran under the Pahlavi dynasty.

highly centralized state

The direction of the economy:

how to enter international area as militant force or not

Briefly summarize each of the following challenges for Iran: Reformers vs. Conservatives:

how to maintain some semblance of legitimacy while not sharing power with reformers

What role have college students, played in protests in Iran?

impacting elections, mass demonstrations protesting contested elections

What problem did this create, in terms of being democratic?

independent of society. little taxation, so little representation

Bazaars

independent so it escaped direct gov control

The Majahedin:

interpreted Shi'i Islam as radical favoring equality, social justice, martyrdom, redistribution of wealth

How is shari'a law incompatible with democracy?

it's based on inequalities

Baha'is:

leader executed, fired from jobs, school closed, shrines bulldozed

Pahlavi Foundation

made him largest landowner

Centered political power in:

majles

Despite patriarchal attitudes held by the conservative clergy, educated women have become a ____________________________ in Iranian society.

major factor

Identify the factors that keep it from being described as a poor underdeveloped country.

majority of Iranians enjoy standard of living well above most of Asia and Africa

Heavy Industries:

manages nationalized factories

Identify the many powers of the Supreme Leader:

mediate between legislature, executive, and judiciary, determine interests of Islam, supervise implementation of general policy, set poli guidelines for republic, eliminate pres candidates, dismiss president, grant amnesty, mobilize armed forces, declare war/peace, convene SMC, appoint and dismiss commanders

What was the role of Hezbollahis?

military to intimidate voters

Interpretation of Islam:

minority issues, nongov organizations

The Fedayin:

modeled after Marxist guerrilla movements in Latin America

Retained:

monarchy

How elected?

national election

How did constitutional amendments institutionalize this council?

new Leader could name members and determine tenure and jurisdiction, made into secretive body

Sunnis:

no Sunni mosques

Explain how the role of "vice-president" is different from the U.S. role of VP.

no single VP, "pres deputies to help with constitutional duties" one designated as first VP

Relations with the U.S.:

not knowing whether to trust the US

What evidence is there that Iran no longer fits the stereotype of a "Third World" country?

oil resources, democratic idea

Define OPEC:

organization to achieve stability in price of oil

Assembly of Experts:

oversee work of Leader and dismiss him if not capable

What rights does Iran's constitution extend to them?

own community organizations

What is the role of the Expediency Council?

pass moderate bills

In what ways has the regime broadened the narrow interpretation of the shari'a?

permit giving and taking of interest, allowed banks to offer rates if they avoided taboo term usury

Its political system is based on both clerical authority and __________________________, on the divine right of the clergy and the rights of _____________________.

popular sovereignty, the people

The Tudeh:

pro-Soviet communist party

Revolutionary Guards:

protect republic from internal enemies

It can pass _________ as long as the __________________ deems them compatible with the shari'a and the constitution.

qanuns, Guardian Council

Explain the difference between qanun and shari'a

quanun are statutes, shari'a are are divine law. god creates shari'a, elected reps draw quanuns

Define People of the Book & Qur'an (Koran)

recognized religious minorities, muslim bible

The Islamic Republic (1979-present) Seven weeks after the February revolution, a nationwide __________________________ replaced the monarchy with an ________________________________.

referendum, Islamic Republic

In general, formal parties are less important in Iranian politics than ____________________ and __________________ coalitions and groups.

reformist, conservative

Identify theocratic features:

religious cleric control over most powerful positions

Oil revenues made Iran into a ______________________________.

rentier state

What policies since 1989 helped Iran control its population growth?

reopening birth control clinics, cut subsidies to large families, said no more than 2 kids

Intelligence:

replaces SAVAK as main security organization

. Explain the role of each of the following:Expediency Council:

resolve differences between Guardian Council and Majles and initiate own laws

What is meant that oil is a resource curse of producing countries?

revenue derived from abundant natural resources bring unforeseen aliments to countries

Real political opposition has been forced into exile (mostly in Europe). How do each of the following represent "opposition" to the current regime? The Liberation Movement:

secular and favors strict separation of mosque from state

Identify democratic features:

some high gov officials elected directly by general public, all citizens over 18 can vote

Theocracy

space occupied by voluntary associations outside state

How does it limit democracy?

stands above constituion

Describe the differences between statist reformers (populists) and conservatives.

statists espoused creation of welfare state, while conservatives hoped to retain middle class support by removing price controls, lowering business taxes, cutting red tape, etc

What event increased monitoring of the Internet & cell phones?

stuxnex cyberattack from west

Summarize the key differences between Sunnis and Shi'ism Islam.

sunni- new leader is who is most capable. shiism- passed down

The president is the formal head of the executive branch, but he can be overruled, even dismissed, by the ____________________________.

supreme leader

The political system of the Islamic Republic of Iran is unique. It is a _______________________ with important ___________________________ features.

theocracy, democratic

How did reformers of the 1990s view Islamism?

thought Islam was mistakenly bloated into government

Why does Iran place so much importance on scientific and technological education?

to keep up with west/modern world

Why is Iran now allowing foreigners to own as much as 100% of any firm in the country?

to repatriate profits, be free of state meddling, assure against arbitrary confiscations and high taxation

How did the Safavids treat religious minorities?

tolerated as long as they paid special taxes and accepted royal authority

Basej:

under authority of revolutionary guards

Although Iran is a highly centralized _________________state, it is divided administratively into subnational units. The management of local affairs...is under the supervision of councils whose members are __________________ by the local population.

unitary. directly elected

What is Islamism and how does it relate to the development of the Islamic Republic of Iran?

use of islam as political ideology, it created theocratic regime