The Aauthority Hierarchy of Iran - Report Example

Political Science Essay Iran (Background Information Report) Government Currently, the Iranian government operates under the constitution of 1979 and has a number of significant positions in the legislature i.e. the Revolution Leader who dictates the jurisdiction of the Iranian Government ensuring that they exercise accountability. The Supreme Leader commands the armed forces, is in-charge of security and oversees all activities related to military intelligence; moreover, in situations of disputes, he decides whether Iran will go into war or maintain peace (Almadari 12). Additionally, half of the members in the council are under the appointment of the Supreme Leader, while parliament elects the rest. However, instead of the popular cabinet that plays a greater role for the government, Iran has an Assembly of Experts. This assembly has the power to select and demote the Supreme Leader depending on the required specifications and factors such as their popularity. The authority hierarchy of Iran is to a particular extent complicated because the Supreme Leader is above the president but the President of Iran heads the state. Obviously, unlike the case of the Supreme Leader, Iran’s citizens elect the president, who serves for only two consecutive terms of four years (Almadari 16). However, not everyone can vie for the presidency position; only those approved by the Guardian Council as a form of evaluation on their understanding of Iran and the Islamic Insurrection. The role of ensuring that everyone upholds constitutional laws is under the president. He also oversees executive powers except in situations where the Supreme Leader has to intervene. Naturally, the president has a fair share of roles in appointment and supervision, including that of the Council of Ministers. The legislature positions are also under his control and he chooses the people to take up the different roles. Surprisingly, Iran’s legislature plays the role of selecting up to eight vice presidents. The legislature of Iran itself has over 250 members that also have to win elections in the different constituencies of Iran. Relatively, the Guardian Council also approves members of the legislature; typically, this council plays a number of significant roles even though it is position in the authority hierarchy is still in question. Generally, Iran’s government has sophisticated processes, most of which apply, making one wonder why the state faces crucial hitches in overall governance (Almadari 20). All the same, the Guardian Council also works side by side with the Expediency Council especially when there are conflicts and disagreements in parliament. However, the Expediency Council is among the prominent governing bodies in Iran. Finally, municipal and other city councils also have citizens electing them under their specific locations. History and Politics Iran also initially known as Persia became an Islamic Republic over 30 years ago. Mohammed Reza exiled immediately after the overthrowing of the ruling monarchy that facilitated Iran becoming an Islamic republic. Conventional ecclesiastical armies led by Ayatollah recognized a theocratic scheme of ruling with decisive dogmatic governance bestowed in a learned religious intellectual also known as the Supreme Leader (BBC 1). Naturally, the Supreme Leader is the head of the Assembly of Experts that deals with national and government affairs. Iran’s relations with the United States became complicated when a number of students attacked the US Embassy holding everyone hostage for more than a year. The United States government took this matter with a lot of solemnity since they were not sure if the Iranian government had anything to do with the attack; all the same, the US has kept its distance since this encounter and it started by dropping all diplomatic relations (BNEA 1). Significantly, 1980 was not a good year for Iran because it was the mark of an end of the nation’s relations with the US and the beginning of a bloody, irresolute battle with their neighboring country Iraq, which would go on for more than eight years. Eventually, the war between Iran and Iraq extended to the Persian Gulf hence forcing the United States Navy to intervene. The US Navy also engaged in the war with Iran before it concluded in 1988. Iran has had a bad reputation especially with its multiple connections with terrorism attacks locally and internationally (BNEA 1). Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its activities in Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains subject to multiple economic sanctions and export controls by international organizations. This is due to its unrelenting participation in extremism and apprehensions over probable martial scopes of its fissile initiatives. After Mohammad taking position as the Iranian president, he initiated a campaign meant to reform the country by first ensuring that the country’s citizens get satisfied with the government (The New York Times 1). The movement did not go on for long because of conservative politicians who were against the whole idea. In fact, the Supreme Leader encouraged the conformists to block any reform initiatives. Most of these politicians were under political parties and other authoritative institutions without any political influence in Iran such as the Council of Guardians. The main agenda was augmenting the levels of security in Iran to the point that President Mohammad was unable to control all facets of authority in the country. After succeeding in the initial move, the conformists then took part in legislative and municipal elections held in 2003-04 giving them control over the greater part the government. A year after this, a new president took over the state during his inauguration in 2005, which meant a new political stature for Iran under the leadership of President Ahmadi. However, this was just the tip of the iceberg, as four years later; Ahmadi still won the elections. This led to a multiple protests accusing the president of rigging the elections. Naturally, no one except his fellow conformists wanted him in power so everyone knew that he won the elections unconventionally. Nonetheless, the protests did not go on because other political leaders also opposed the re-election leading to the repression of Ahmadi’s presidency (The New York Times 1). Significantly, Iran has faced multiple challenges for the last five years especially on the factors of governance and economic conditions. Iran has been a victim of multiple international sanctions that lead to protests like those held in 2012. All the same, one thing that Iran has always managed to stabilize is internal security with the armed forces having sufficient knowledge and power to overcome militia attacks. President Ahmadi’s unorthodox governance has triggered a lot of attention and anger from important Iranian figures over the years, especially those who aim at making Iran a better state (BBC 1). In fact, some of his political supporters went against the his ways of governance last year forming conformist party as an attempt to ensure that he is more effective. Over a year ago, Dr. Ruhani won an election as a modest conformist ecclesiastic to the presidency of Ahmadi. As a conformist, Iranians have a lot of hope in him, especially because he has been in politics for a significant time; moreover, Dr. Ruhani made promises of making Iran’s society better and reforming its foreign policy. Since the election, Iran has had a few developments with the suspension of uranium enrichment by UN Security Council and a contract to relief the country off global pressure because of their nuclear program. Additionally, Iran has had more relations with recognized states such as Germany; typically, the country initiated an international reputation to counter the negative picture it depicted earlier. Commonly, Iran’s program on nuclear technology has been a topic of concern for over a decade with most countries around the globe being against it (The New York Times 1). However, President Ahmadi would not relate well with foreign leaders and since he got out of power, leading states have had negotiations on the matter with the Iranian government. Works Cited Almadari, K. The Power Structure of the Islamic Republic of Iran: Third World Quarterly 26.8: (2005): 10-28. BBC, Iran Profile: Middle East News, BBC. 2014. Web, January 27, 2015 < http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14541327> Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (BNEA), US Relations with Iran: US Department of State, 2013, Web, January 27, 2015 < http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5314.htm> The New York Times, Chronology of Coverage, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, 2014. Web, January 27, 2015 < http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/a/mahmoud_ahmadinejad/index.html> Read More