Civil Society
If an NGO questions Islamic law can it be dissolved
Yes. In 2021, a court ordered the dissolution of the Imam Ali Popular Students Relief Society, a prominent NGO that supported the poor and natural disaster survivors because the group had “questioned Islamic rulings.”
Do citizens of Iran have high voter efficacy
No. After the highly controversial 2009 Presidential election, voters in Iran do not think their votes matter.
True. Iran holds elections for its legislature and president to convince citizens that they can impact the government
The most dominant version of Islam in Iran
Shia Islam
What form of government does Iran have
Theocracy
T/F- Independent NGOs are allowed to function in the state
False. Only political parties and factions loyal to the establishment and to the state ideology are permitted to operate.
Is Iran's legislature elected freely and fairly
No, Iran's Gaurdian Council disqualified 9,000 potential candidates on the grounds that their loyalty to the clerical system was insufficient.
True/False- The death of a young Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, sparked hundreds of 2022 protests in Iran, resulting in violent government crackdown. Amini was killed by Iran's "morality police" for not wearing her hijab properly.
True
True/False- The Shia majority in Iran acknowledges Sunni minority practictioners and allows them full civil liberties
False
What form of government did Iran have before 1979
Authoritative monarchy
Which branch of the Iranian government has the most interaction with NGOS
The executive
True/False- Iran bans executions
What important religious minority does not earn a guaranteed seat in Iran's legislature
Sunni Islam
Are women allowed to drive, vote, and go to college in Iran
Yes, with some restrictions
Why is Iran's government anti-western
True. Iran's government believes Western culture is a plague that needs to be eliminated to protect Muslim identity.
Does the Iran government utilize GONGOS
Yes. Civil society institutions that were set up by former government officials are better supported and their communications with various government departments are smoother
Are citizens influenced by the government in how they think politically
Yes. The choices of both voters and politicians are heavily influenced and ultimately circumscribed by Iran’s unelected state institutions and ruling clerical establishment.
True/False- The Gaurdian Council can disqualify any candidate that they deem insufficiently loyal to the clerical establishment
True
What ethnic group present in Iran is known as the stateless nation
The Kurds
What was the title of the pre-1979 leader of Iran
The Shah. He ruled a pro-western autocratic monarchy before the islamic revolution
Would an environmental NGO or a political NGO be more likely to be shut down
Political NGOs. The government suppresses any hints of opposition
Is there a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections?
no, the unelected components of the constitutional system represent a permanent barrier to opposition electoral victories and genuine rotations of power. In May 2021, for example, then outgoing first vice president Jahangiri, who is considered a reformist, was disqualified from running for president.
True/False- Citizens directly elect the Supreme Leader of Iran
False. The Supreme leader is elected for life by an "Assembly of Experts"
Persians
What other middle eastern country does Iran dislike the most, on the grounds of differing religious views and political stances
Saudi Arabia, a Sunni majority country that is pro-western