INSTITUTIONAL ASPECTS OF POLITICAL MODERNIZATION IN IRAN AT THE END OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Abstract

The article examines the establishment of a new theocratic system of governance following the Islamic Revolution, focusing on the institutional and ideological foundations of the post-revolutionary political order. It analyzes the processes through which Iran’s domestic and foreign policies were transformed in response to revolutionary objectives, constitutional restructuring, and shifting power relations among key political institutions. Particular attention is given to the mechanisms through which religious authority was integrated into state governance, reshaping the balance between elected and unelected bodies within the political system.

In addition, the article provides a comprehensive analysis of the pragmatic political orientation adopted during the presidency of Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (1989–1997). It explores the economic reform agenda pursued in the post-war period, including policies of reconstruction, partial market liberalization, and efforts to reintegrate Iran into the regional and international economic environment. The study also addresses the gradual process of societal liberalization, highlighting changes in state–society relations, the relative expansion of technocratic governance, and the reconfiguration of elite competition within the framework of the Islamic Republic. Furthermore, the article examines initiatives aimed at strengthening presidential authority and enhancing executive capacity, while assessing the structural constraints imposed by the theocratic nature of the political system and the enduring influence of religious institutions on policymaking.