The United State’s ongoing distrust for Iran could be linked to Iran’s 1979 Revolution, which overthrew the American friendly Shah to a radical ayatollah, Khomeini (Lee 2008). Prior to this revolution, the United States and Iran enjoyed good and flourishing relations. As any revolution the Iranian revolution took aim in overthrowing a corrupt regime. Although Islam is very important in the Iranian government today, Islam had little or nothing to do with with the plight or the grief of the Iranian people during the revolution. However, Ayatollah Khomeini and his followers took advantage of the citizen’s disappointment with the Shah and the backlash to westernization and secularization that the Shah was constantly trying to push for while disregarding the needs of Iran’s working and lower class citizens. In this new form of government, the
…show more content…
The Iranian theocratic system is divided into two institutions the elected and the unelected. Iran’s electorate directly elect the President, parliament and the assembly of experts (BBC 2009). The President similar to western governments serves no more than two consecutive four year terms and selects its cabinet, however, with approval by the parliament. The parliament also appoints or approves the guardian council, which vets the candidates the electorate must choose from (BBC 2009). The members of the guardian council are appointed or approved by unelectable institutions like the Supreme leader and the head of judiciary. The supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei is the person with the most power within this system as he appoints members of the armed forces, head of judiciary, and the expediency council, which makes the President the second-highest ranking official in Iran (BBC, 2009). However, there is some form of checks and balances as the Iranian supreme leader is appointed or approved by the assembly of
The Iranian theocratic system is divided into two institutions the elected and the unelected. Iran’s electorate directly elect the President, parliament and the assembly of experts (BBC 2009). The President similar to western governments serves no more than two consecutive four year terms and selects its cabinet, however, with approval by the parliament. The parliament also appoints or approves the guardian council, which vets the candidates the electorate must choose from (BBC 2009). The members of the guardian council are appointed or approved by unelectable institutions like the Supreme leader and the head of judiciary. The supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei is the person with the most power within this system as he appoints members of the armed forces, head of judiciary, and the expediency council, which makes the President the second-highest ranking official in Iran (BBC, 2009). However, there is some form of checks and balances as the Iranian supreme leader is appointed or approved by the assembly of