Year: 2012
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The Iranian regime has repeatedly demonstrated a singular institutional resiliency that has been absent in other countries where "colored revolutions" have succeeded in overturning incumbents, such as Ukraine, Georgia, Serbia, Kyrgyzstan and Moldova, or where popular uprisings like the current Arab Spring have brought down despots or upended authoritarian political landscapes, including Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Libya and even Syria.Moreover, it has accomplished this feat without a ruling political party, considered by most scholars to be the key to stable authoritarianism.Why has the Iranian political system proven so durable?Moreover, can the explanation for such durability advance a more deductive science of authoritarian rule?My dissertation places Iran within the context of guardian regimes-or hybrid regimes with ideological military, clerical or monarchical institutions steeped in the politics of the state, such as Turkey and Thailand-to explain the durability of unstable polities that should be theoretically prone to collapse."Hybrid" regimes that combine competitive elections with nondemocratic forms of rule have proven to be highly volatile and their average longevity is significantly shorter than that of other regime types.My study demonstrates how guardian regimes that produce a strong system of checks-and-balances through ideologically buttressed veto players are more adept at surviving as a hybrid political system.Guardian checks-andbalances produce gradual, inclusive and re-distributive process of institutional transformation that attracts multiple stakeholders in the political order while simultaneously preventing the monopolization of power by any one group.To delineate these mechanisms at work, I undertake entire process of researching and writing this dissertation.My deepest gratitude goes to my dissertation committee whose members both nurtured the development of my theoretical thoughts from the very beginning of my doctoral study at Georgetown University and guided me throughout this challenging journey.My dissertation would not have been possible without the incredible support and encouragement of my advisor, Daniel Brumberg.Thank you for believing in me and pushing me to strive beyond my own expectations.Your thoughts and writings have been truly significant in my intellectual development.I am forever indebted to Marc Morjé Howard for his unwavering support and astute guidance throughout the different stages of this endeavor.My intellectual interest in political regimes-and hybrid regimes in particular-was sparked by you, and my advancement in this field of study has been a direct result of your kind encouragement and constant help.Thank you so much for your valuable commitment to me as both your student and friend.I am truly grateful to Steven Heydemann who opened my eyes to the beautiful complexity and rigor in the study of political science and whose keen insights have greatly shaped and guided my work.I sincerely appreciate all of the substantive knowledge and help you have provided me in this process.Beyond my committee, I owe special thanks to Juan Linz for his invaluable guidance and advice on my dissertation as well as on my work on hybrid regimes more broadly.As a professor, his intellectual passion, humbleness, sincerity, and kindness are truly inspirational qualities-providing me with a role-model I could only wish to follow.I am thankful to Farideh
Author: Payam Mohseni
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: University of Tehran
OpenAlex ID: W2180691028