Righteous Politics
Power and Resilience in Iran

Offers a comprehensive and accessible analysis of the formal and informal institutions through which the Iranian state operates.

Mehran Kamrava (Author)

9781009362030, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 17 August 2023

412 pages
23.6 x 15.8 x 2.5 cm, 0.734 kg

'Righteous Politics stands as a seminal work that offers an incisive dissection of Iran's intricate institutional architecture. Critically, Kamrava elucidates the paradoxical nature of Tehran's governance, wherein political dynamism coexists with stifling constraints, and economic progress is tempered by pervasive deficiencies.' British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies

Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, the Iranian political system has been subject to diminishing legitimacy. In recent years, various waves of protest have spread across the country and the question of the resilience of the revolutionary state becomes more pressing by the day. Drawing from extensive fieldwork and rare primary sources, Mehran Kamrava provides here a comprehensive and accessible analysis of the Iranian state and the various formal and informal institutions through which it operates. The book offers an in-depth analysis of the Iranian state, from the Constitution to the powers and offices of the Supreme Leader, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to the several intelligence agencies. Paying careful attention to the nuances of Iranian politics, Kamrava also highlights how factional politics and rentierism have served to enhance state resilience. Presenting a range of original insights, this book is invaluable to understanding the inner workings of the contemporary Iranian state.

1. Introduction
2. Authoritarian perseverance
3. Ruling under stress
4. The constitution, elections, & legitimacy
5. Elected representatives
6. The unelected leadership
7. The praetorians
8. Maintaining the system
9. The deep state
10. Intra-Elite dynamics
11. The state and its riches
12. Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Constitution: government & the state [JPHC]