Sovereignty,+Authority,+and+Power

== = By: Billy Z. =

= SOVEREIGNTY, AUTHORITY, AND POWER =

=A. Political Culture, Communication, and Socialization=
 * 1) == **__Political Culture:__** Influenced by monarchy and Shi'ite Islam because Iran is a theocratic state with over 2,500 years of notable history. Historically, when Iranians were Persians there was a very large emphasis placed on the omnipotence of the King. Iran has been a Shi'ite theocracy since 1501 and one aspect of the religion, the theory of Niabat, states that it is appropriate for the clergy to become involved in political affairs. Iran has never rejected this notion, largely because many secular movements have failed to have much of an effect on Iran's domestic affairs. The government's major source of power is its authority over Iran's citizenry. Leaders, though, are not always popular because few can provide the people with any significant source of security. ==
 * 2) == __**Communicati**____**on:**__ Iran has limited freedom of the press. Publishing licenses are available, but only for publications that adhere to the principles of Islam. All of the major Iranian newspapers are printed in Tehran. Papers can be critical of a government program or initiative, but this is relatively rare. The  ==
 * 3) == __**Socialization:**__ Patriarchal political structure, men in positions of power. Monarchy and Shi'ism are very values-based. Quality of life and quality of government are perceived to have a direct relationship. Citizens' views of government have been influenced by the country's difficulties in the past. Many invasions, especially by the Mongolians, left their mark on the people of Iran in the form of general distrust and narrow world views. Like India, Iran is socially segmented by a caste system that has been present throughout Iran's history and a general respect for authority and power permeates most levels of the Iranian system.  ==



= **B. Nations and States** =
 * == **The State of Iran is the country itself, which could be considered part of a larger body: the Nation of Islam.** ==
 * ==The country is not divided up into states, but it does consist of a number of districts and provinces that are generally similar in size to one another.==

= C. Supranational governance =
 * ==Iran, along with Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela, was one of the founding members of OPEC. The organization is now made up of 12 countries.==
 * ==In the United Nations, Iran is a signatory of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and is a member of the World Bank Group, the IMF, and UNESCO.==

= D. Sources of Power =
 * =Supreme Leader: Iran's leaders constitute one major form of power within the government. The most notable of these leaders, the Supreme Leader, has a great deal of power over domestic affairs. Ali Khamenei, was relatively liberal and wanted to pass reform measures but was stopped by the Supreme Leader.=
 * == The Supreme Leader can appoint officials to lead the judicial branch and the national radio and television networks. ==
 * == President: Mohammad Khatami, President of Iran from 1997-2005 received a lot of respect from younger members of Iran's population for his Reform Spring initiative until the Supreme Leader took measures to prevent the adoption of any reforms. Khatami's popularity was evident in his landslide win in his first-term election, which resulted in an increased power and influence. This represented a brief period in the country when citizens had a sense of respect and admiration for their leader instead of a sense of respect out of fear for the leader's authority and power.==



= E. Constitutions =
 * 1) ==Forms: Iran's first Constitution was ratified in 1906. The Constitution that is in place today was ratified in 1979 after the Iranian Revolution and was briefly amended ten years later. It contains 14 chapters ranging from "Economy and financial matters" to "Radio and television".==
 * 2) ==Purposes: The Constitution serves to give Iran a set of policies that allow the country to function and to emphasize the religious underpinnings of the state.==
 * 3) ==Application: All Iranian law is second to its Islamic interpretation. One portion of the constitution states that popular opinion should factor into the political process, but this article is contradicted by another that affirms the power of religion when it comes to dictating law.==

= F. Regime Types = = = = G. Type of Economic System = = H. State Building, Legitimacy, and Stability =
 * ==** Over the last two decades, Iran's government has morphed from a nominal constitutional monarchy an Islamist republic. ** ==
 * ==** Historically, Persian kings were viewed **as superior beings. In this respect, the Supreme Leader of Iran acts as the King. He has power over domestic and international affairs, mainly concerning military, defense, and security issues. ==
 * ==The Supreme Leader is elected by the Assembly of Experts, a body of 86 scholars elected by popular vote to eight year terms that meets twice annually to deal with matters concerning the Supreme Leader. ==
 * ==** Iran also has a President and a governing body called the Guardian Council. For more information, please see Political Institutions. **==
 * 1) ==Iran's economy is centrally planned and is a mixed transition economy.==
 * 2) ==Before the 20th Century and the discovery of oil, Iran's economy was agrarian. Now, much of the country's income comes from oil exportation or oil-related industry. This is a major issue because Iran is a net importer of goods and inflation is rising. (everyculture)==
 * 3) ==Urbanization is occurring and the service sector is becoming more prominent.==
 * 4) ==Religious bodies and programs make use of 30% of available government funds.==
 * 5) ==OPEC and GECF (Gas Exporting Countries Forum) - Iran is a member==
 * 6) ==Iran has been a WTO observer for seven years.==
 * 7) ==China, Japan, India, South Korea, and Turkey are the main countries to which Iran exports resources. (ecowatch)==
 * 8) ==Recent sanctions have been targeted at the pillars of Iran's economy: oil and gas. The EU has stated that it will stop all importation of Iranian oil. India and China, however, will continue to import from Iran. (reuters) As a result, Iran could post a deficit that is worth 2% of its GDP for next year. This sharply contrasts with the prediction that Iran would end this fiscal year with a 2.8% surplus.==


 * ==Iran contains two types of sovereignty that do not work well with each other.==
 * 1) ==Popular: Places emphasis on the collective will of the people==
 * 2) ==Divine: God's will==
 * ==Originally based on religion==
 * ==Now, divine sovereignty is essentially politically oriented==
 * ==There are multiple cleavages within the Iranian population. Iranians are mostly young; 70% of the population is under 30. Since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the gap between conservative government officials and liberal youth has intensified political debates and increased the tension within the state. Also, opinions differ about whether or not Iran should strive to retain and improve economic and political relations with Western nations.==
 * ==Iran's government has remained stable in the traditional sense since the Revolution of 1979 because there has yet to be another revolution. However, we are witnessing a turning point in Iran's domestic and international affairs.==

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= I. Belief Systems as Sources of Legitimacy =
 * 1) ==Religion: After 1501, Shi'ism began to establish itself as a powerful religion because it was assisted by the monarchy, but such cooperation was not new. (cite pdf file)==
 * 2) ==Ideology: Conservative. Iran's government holds the state to strict Shi'ite principles and embraces Shi'ite Islam as the official religion of the state.==
 * 3) ==Iran's current President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is very conservative. The previous Iranian President, Mohammad Khatami, was not. Khamenei wished to introduce liberal reforms into the government but was stopped by the Supreme Leader.==
 * 4) ==Traditionally, the Supreme Leader is a very conservative religious leader. With the election of Ahmadinejad, conservative power and influence has been consolidated for the first time in years.==

= J. Governance and Accountability =
 * ==As stated in Iran's Constitution, members of the government, especially the Supreme Leader and the President, are held accountable to Islam. Election fraud has been a perceived threat in the past. After President Ahmadinejad was controversially re-elected, protesters took to the streets where they were met with incredible violence on behalf of the government. State-owned television and radio are used to back up the government's alibi in certain situations, but it has been brought to light that some stores are faked to give the government justification for its actions.==
 * ==World leaders, including President Obama, demand that Iran and its leaders be held accountable for actions that have effects outside Iranian borders. These actions include proposed nuclear weapons research and an assassination plot directed at the Saudi Arabian ambassador in Washington.==

= Analysis =

==Iran's state, government, and regime are all tied to religion. The development of the country as an authoritative theocracy has been relatively constant throughout the course of history, although "conservative modernization" (economic and industrial development aimed at minimizing social change) has sporadically been punctuated by challenges to traditionalism (Ex: left-leaning, former president Mohammad Khatami). Although Iran has a constitution, a President, and a Supreme Leader, the country is prone to domestic and international conflict. Two types of sovereignty (God's will vs. will of the people) are putting the young population at odds with the older, more conservative leaders. Internationally, Iran has drawn significant attention for the supposed development of its nuclear program, reflecting the country's desire to affirm its place among modern world powers, such as the United States, India, China, and European countries. However, negative international attention and domestic tension may harm Iran in its quest for power and legitimacy.==

Works Cited

===The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies. “The Iranian World Geography.” //The Iranian World Geography//. N.p., 2011. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. .===

===Jackson, David. “Obama: Iran must be held accountable.” //The Oval//. USA Today, 2011. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. .===

===Reuters. “Analysis: Iran economy could limp along under sanctions.” //Reuters: U.S.// N.p., 2011. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. .===

===TIME Magazine. “Top 10 Players in Iran’s Power Struggle.” //Time Specials//. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. .===

===World Policy Blog. “A Detailed Analysis of Iran’s Constitution.” //World Policy Blog//. N.p., 2011. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. .===