Deck 14: Iran

Question 1

Iran's heritage gives it a national identity distinct from the Arab and Turkish world.  This heritage is best described as

A) Iranian.
B) Persian.
C) Safavid.
D) Pashtuun.
E) Kurdish.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The White Revolution was a(n)

A)  U.S.-led effort to forestall a communist revolution in Iran.
B) attempt by Muhammad Reza Shah to promote economic development in Iran.
C) attempt to end Ottoman rule in Iran.
D) attempt by Ayatollah Khomeini to establish a theocracy in Iran.
E) attempt by Muhammad Reza Shah to replace the use of European code law with shari'a law.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The Constitutional Revolution was important because it

A) instituted a theocracy in Iran.
B) introduced features of modern government to Iran such as elections and a national assembly.
C) ended the monarchy.
D) stated that Sunni Islam would be the official religion of Iran.
E) ceded authority to the Ottoman Empire.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The leader of the Islamic Revolution was

A) Jalal Al-e-Ahmand.
B) Ayatollah Khomeini.
C) Ali Shariati.
D) Mehdi Bazargan.
E) Ayatollah Khamenei.

Question 5

Khomeini's version of Shi'ism is best labeled as

A) Islamic fundamentalism.
B) Shi'i populism.
C) Islamic social conservatism.
D) religious dogmatism.
E) Islamic socialism.

Question 6

Iranian president Rouhani won the presidency in 2013 running on a platform promising to

A) reverse many of the liberal changes implemented under former president Ahmadinejad.
B) take a hard line on Israel saying that it should be wiped off the face of the earth.
C) reduce poverty and promote social justice.
D) stand up to the United States on the issue of Iran's nuclear program.
E) strengthen the rule of law and fix the economy.

Question 7

The authority of clerics in the Iranian theocratic political system comes from

A) their direct communications with God.
B) their direct lineage to Prophet Muhammad.
C) their scholarly knowledge of religious scriptures and God's law.
D) the Qu'ran.
E) historical precedence, when clerics ruled Iran in the past.

Question 8

The position of Iran's liberal president Khatami was undermined by __________, which paved the way for the electoral victory of ultraconservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

A) his government's pro-Israeli policies
B) Iran's support for the installation of a pro-American government in Iraq in 2003
C) his support to depose the Taliban in Afghanistan
D) U.S. president George Bush's hardline actions toward Iran, including his support for regime change
E) the establishment of a "grand bargain" with the United States to end its nuclear research activities

Question 9

The two dynasties most responsible for the dominance of Shi'i Islam in Iran include the ___________ who were responsible for converting the majority of the population and the __________ who were responsible for making it the country's state religion.

A) Tudeh; Pahlavis
B) Qajars; Kurds
C) Safavids; Qajars
D) Farsi; Safavids
E) Zoroastrians; Pahlavis

Question 10

Which of the following statements about nuclear power and Iran is NOT true?

A) Iran sees nuclear power as a matter of both sovereignty and modernity.
B) While the Bush Administrations accepted Iran's right to enrich uranium so long as it guaranteed that it did not do so to the point of producing nuclear weapons, the Obama Administration has not.
C) Iran's plans to develop nuclear power have been delayed because of U.S. pressure on Europe not to transfer such technology to Iran.
D) The United States and Israel developed a cyber-sabotage program to infect Iranian computers used to control the production of enriched uranium.
E) The United States and other Western powers believe that any nuclear technology in the hands of Iran could be passed on to terrorist organizations.

Question 11

A country that earns much of its revenue by exporting raw materials, such as oil, or leasing out natural resources to foreign companies is known as

A) a dual society.
B) an export substitution state.
C) a rentier state.
D) a dependent country.
E) a leaser state.

Question 12

Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was installed with absolute power in 1953

A) by referendum.
B) after a protracted civil war.
C) by his father, Reza Shah, before his abdication.
D) after a vote by the Majles.
E) by army officers with financial backing from the United States and Britain.

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT a factor that helped Iran's clerics consolidate power in Iran after the revolution?

A) Khomeini's charisma
B) The invasion of Iran in 1980 by Iraq
C) The increase in international petroleum prices, sustaining Iran's oil revenues
D) The government's financing of development programs
E) The U.S. embassy break-in

Question 14

Which of the following was NOT a policy pursued by Khomeini, which had the effect of isolating Iran from the Western world?

A) Calling for revolutions throughout the Muslim world
B) Launching the Iran-Iraq War in 1980
C) Permitting Iran's intelligence services to assassinate opposition leaders living in Western Europe
D) Launching a research program to build medium-range missiles and nuclear power
E) Sending money and arms to Muslim dissidents living abroad

Question 15

Iran's first highly centralized state with a standing army and a large administrative bureaucracy was established by

A) Ayatollah Khomeini.
B) Muhammad Reza Shah.
C) the Safavids.
D) the Qajars.
E) Reza Khan.

Question 16

_________ is Islamic religious law based on the Qur'an, the teachings of the Prophet, and, for Shi'is, on the teaching of the Twelve Imams.

A) Shari'a
B) Madhi
C) Torah
D) Avesta
E) Mellat

Question 17

The primary difference between Sunni and Shi'i Islam is

A) whether all Muslims have to make a pilgrimage to Mecca.
B) who should have succeeded the Prophet Mohammad following his death.
C) the amount one needs to submit to the Five Pillars of Islam.
D) whether or not the Prophet was divine.
E) how much Muslims should modernize.

Question 18

The _____________ was created by the Shah to create an organizational link between his government and the Iranian population, especially the bazaars, who had managed to escape direct governmental control.

A) Resurgence Party
B) Tudeh Party
C) National Front
D) Mojahedin
E) SAVAK

Question 19

Iran's theocratic constitution following the Islamic Revolution was

A) imposed upon Iran by Ayatollah Khomeini.
B) submitted to a vote by Iran's hojjat-al-Islams and ayatollahs.
C) publicly endorsed by the pasdaran, forcing Iran's middle-ranking clerics to support the new regime.
D) submitted to a popular vote.
E) endorsed by the United States.

Question 20

Which of the following was NOT a factor that led to the Shah's fall from power?

A) An economic crisis consisting of a rise in consumer prices and a decline in oil prices
B) A military coup
C) Soldiers deserting from Iran's armed forces
D) International pressure from human rights organizations
E) Massive general strikes that brought the country's economy to a halt

Question 21

The Leader is chosen by the

A) general electorate.
B) Assembly of Experts.
C) Guardian Council.
D) Expediency Council.
E) Majles.

Question 22

Iran's state organizations must conform to all of the following "divine principles" as spelled out in the constitution's preamble EXCEPT

A) the Day of Judgment.
B) Khomeini's doctrine of jurist's guardianship.
C) the Qur'an.
D) the eventual return of the Hidden Iman.
E) toleration of the People of the Book.

Question 23

Even though Khomeini often stressed that his government would be administered by trained officials rather than clerics, __________ of _________ Iran's presidents have been clerics.

A) 3; 5
B) 4; 5
C) 4; 6
D) 5; 6
E) 6; 6

Question 24

The Shah's approach to development was best characterized as

A) "trickle down."
B) emphasizing unified growth.
C) Keynesian economics.
D) a combination of capitalism and communism.
E) "trickle up," emphasizing benefits to the poor will boost the overall productivity of society.

Question 25

The Islamic Republic is most aptly called a regime of the

A) Ayatollahs.
B) Hojjat al-Islams.
C) Majles.
D) Hezbollahis.
E) Iman Jum'ehs.

Question 26

From the 1950s through the 1970s, all of the following generally deterred foreigners from investing in Iran EXCEPT

A) government corruption.
B) fear of government confiscation .
C) a small internal market .
D) clerical rule .
E) labor costs .

Question 27

Which of the following bureaucratic ministries are the most important in the Islamic Republic?

A) SAVAK, Justice, Defense, and Reconstruction
B) Intelligence, Culture and Islamic Guidance, Interior, and Defense
C) Reconstruction, SAVAK, Heavy Industries, and Justice
D) Culture and Islamic Guidance, Intelligence, Reconstruction, and Heavy Industries
E) Interior, Heavy Industries, Justice, and Culture and Islamic Guidance

Question 28

The Expediency Council has been set up to mediate differences between the Majles and the

A) Assembly of Experts.
B) Chief judge.
C) Leader.
D) Guardian Council.
E) Military.

Question 29

The Guardian Council

A) acts as the judiciary for Iran's government.
B) resolves differences between the President and the Leader.
C) reviews all candidates for elected office.
D) resolves differences between the Assembly of Experts and the Majles.
E) nominates and removes the chief judge, the chief prosecutor, and the revolutionary tribunals.

Question 30

Various Iranian political administrations have undertaken all of the following measures to address Iran's environmental problems EXCEPT

A) They have devoted considerable resources into solar and nuclear energy to provide cleaner energy for industrial and home electrical use.
B) They have begun to produce highly refined gasoline to decrease air pollution.
C) They have supported water conservation to combat the problem of aridity and the lack of regular rainfall.
D) They have encouraged citizens to use public transport to decrease the use of private cars.
E) They have supported reforestation efforts throughout the country.

Question 31

A situation where poorer states are vulnerable to sudden fluctuations in richer economies and dependent on the export of raw materials, whose prices often stagnate or decline, while prices for the manufactured products they import invariably increase is called

A) economic dependency .
B) rentierism.
C) interdependency.
D) economic addiction.
E) mercantilism.

Question 32

The Iman Jum'ehs are

A) prayer leaders at Iran's main city mosques.
B) the heads of Iran's main religious endowments.
C) the members of the Expediency Council.
D) the directors of Iran's large public organizations like the Iranian Oil Company.
E) the military heads of the pasdaran.

Question 33

Iran's main economic problem has been

A) a declining birthrate.
B) declining tax revenues.
C) instability in the world oil market.
D) the impact of economic sanctions due to its nuclear enrichment program.
E) the lack of qualified-skilled workers.

Question 34

Vast amounts of oil revenues had what consequence in Iran?

A) Citizens paid very little for gasoline and heating oil.
B) Oil helped fuel democratic reforms within the state.
C) The state was able to attract foreign investment in the manufacturing sector due its ability to offer tax incentives.
D) The oil fields had a detrimental impact on agriculture leading to several devastating famines.
E) The state became independent of society since it did not depend on society for tax revenue.

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT a power of the Leader?

A) He can mediate between the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary.
B) He chooses the president.
C) He is commander-in-chief.
D) He has extensive appointment and removal powers over the judiciary.
E) He can nominate clerics to the Guardian Council.

Question 36

Which of the following describes the Islamic Republic's current position on population issues?

A) It states that Islam approves of large families and that Iran's strength lies in having a large population.
B) It does not allow birth control clinics.
C) It grants social benefits to families with three or more children.
D) It encourages families to have few children due to the social costs of having large families .
E) It offers financial incentives to families to limit themselves to one child.

Question 37

The term dual society refers to a

A) society and economy that are sharply divided into a modern, usually richer, and a traditional, usually poorer, sector.
B) modern economy versus a traditional society.
C) religious and a secular society existing side by side.
D) society divided roughly equally between two ethnic groups.
E) country in which all citizens have dual citizenship.

Question 38

Which of the following describes the role of the Assembly of Experts?

A) It chooses Iran's vice president to check the power of the president.
B) It helps the Supreme Leader select members of Iran's judiciary.
C) It approves candidates running for political office, including that of the presidency.
D) It oversees the work of the Supreme Leader and has the power to dismiss him if he is unable to fulfill his official duties.
E) It certifies the credentials of clerics running for political office.

Question 39

The powers of the president include all of the following EXCEPT the power to

A) determine whether laws conform to Islamic law.
B) sign international treaties.
C) chair the National Security Council.
D) draw up the annual budget.
E) propose legislation to the Majles.

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT true of Iran's economy prior to the Islamic Revolution?

A) Iran was an important member of OPEC.
B) Iran was a major purchaser of arms, especially from the United States.
C) Many landowners stopped growing food and turned to commercial export crops leading to several disastrous famines.
D) The country became dependent on oil as a commodity that was subject to volatile market prices.
E) Iran had significant trade relations with neighboring and other developing countries.

Question 41

According to your textbook, what is the biggest obstacle to fair elections in Iran?

A) The participation of the Revolutionary Guards in the supervision of voting
B) The ability of the Interior Ministry to ban dissident political organizations
C) Assaults on regime opponents by club-wielding gangs
D) Restrictions on electoral information by the government-controlled radio-television network
E) The ability of the Guardian Council to approve all election candidates

Question 42

All of the following about the role of technology in Iran is correct EXCEPT

A) the Iranian regime places great importance on scientific education in part because of security concerns.
B) Iran's top high school graduates gravitate toward the sciences because it is seen as the cutting edge of modernity.
C) the access of urban households to cell phones and the Internet decreased following the 2009 protests.
D) Iran's nuclear and space program benefit from the regime's interest in scientific and technological education.
E) scientific education is highly valued because of the belief that the key to recapturing the lost grandeur of the Muslim Civilization is through technology.

Question 43

Despite the constitution's mandate that the management of local affairs in the Islamic Republic would be under the supervision of directly-elected councils, council elections were not held until __________ came to power.

A) President Khatami
B) Leader Khamenei
C) President Rouhani
D) President Ahmadinejad
E) President Rafsanjani

Question 44

Which of the following is TRUE about Iran's religious minorities?

A) Iran's recognized religious minorities are equally harassed because they are viewed as heretics by Iran's Shi'i population.
B) Iran's Jewish population has borne the brunt of religious persecution because of their pro-Israeli Zionist sentiments.
C) Sunni Muslims are treated in theory as full citizens, but their actual status is not spelled out which contrasts sharply with that of the country's Christian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian population.
D) Some ultra-conservative clerics view Zoroastrians as part of the "international Zionist conspiracy" since their main shrine is located in Israel.
E) The constitution extends no additional political rights to the country's religious minorities.

Question 45

Political parties in Iran

A) are banned.
B) only became active during the Ahmadinejad regime.
C) are more important than reformist and conservative coalitions and groups that form along ideological and policy lines.
D) must be licensed by the Interior Ministry.
E) were only allowed to exist after the constitution was revised after Khomeini's death.

Question 46

The George W. Bush Administration accused Iran of all of the following EXCEPT

A) sabotaging the Arab-Israeli peace process.
B) helping terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah.
C) developing a nuclear weapons program.
D) complicity in the 9/11 attacks.
E) grossly violating the human rights of its citizens.

Question 47

When describing the Majles, the constitution uses the term __________ rather than shari'a (divine law) to gloss over the issue of whether legislation comes from God or the people.

A) fedayin
B) qanun
C) hadith
D) qadi
E) fiqh

Question 48

The Majles is elected by the

A) Leader.
B) Guardian Council.
C) Assembly of Experts.
D) general electorate.
E) leaders of local governmental councils.

Question 49

Educated women in Iran

A) harbor numerous grievances against the regime especially the imposition of the veil.
B) play a minor role in the Iranian economy.
C) hold no positions in the government.
D) have established their own political organizations.
E) are allowed to hold any job including president and court judges.

Question 50

In contrast to the mass demonstrations in Egypt and Tunisia, Iran's political system has survived because of

A) electoral manipulation.
B) the conservative's significant base of support within the electorate.
C) its control over the Internet and social media domestically.
D) the support of the armed forces for the Iranian regime.
E) Shi'i Islam.

Question 51

Iran's semipublic institutions

A) existed under the Shah and were retained by the Islamic Republic.
B) are important autonomous political actors in the Islamic Republic.
C) are important economic actors due to their extensive economic holdings and their exemption from state taxes.
D) together have an income that surpasses that of the government.
E) have become weaker as a result of the state's move to privatize state enterprises.

Question 52

Language minorities in Iran

A) have always been suppressed throughout the country's history.
B) enjoy little freedom under the Islamic Republic but were given much freedom under the Shah.
C) are naturally dying out due to low birthrates among these groups.
D) were dying out but have enjoyed a renaissance under Ahmadinejad's administration.
E) were given unprecedented rights under the Islamic Republic, but, in practice, support for these has been minimal.

Question 53

Youth politics in Iran centers mainly on

A) old age care.
B) youth unemployment.
C) the suppression of civil liberties and political rights.
D) youth subsidization of the Iranian welfare state.
E) the limited nature of educational opportunities.

Question 54

Which of the following about the recent 2013 presidential elections is CORRECT?

A) The Leader refused to back the conservative candidates ensuring the Revolutionary Guards and conservative clerical institutions would not interfere with the elections.
B) Rouhani ran a platform emphasizing that Iran should not compromise on its foreign policy stances, including its nuclear program.
C) Massive uprisings occurred after the election, protesting the unfair nature of Iranian elections.
D) Rouhani became the first non-cleric president to lead Iran in twenty four years.
E) A hardline conservative, Rouhani ran on a populist platform including the need to provide a monthly stipend to Iran's citizens.

Question 55

Khomeini introduced the Sunni concept of ______________ to enhance the role of the state, allowing it to suspend important religious rulings in order to protect the public interest.

A) qanun
B) maslahat
C) motalaq
D) fedayin
E) hadith

Question 56

How does your textbook characterize the relationship of Iran's clerics with its most sensitive ministries?

A) While the leaders of these ministries appear to be highly trained technocrats, they are fairly powerless individuals dependent on a powerful clergy.
B) The clergy clearly dominates Iran's bureaucracy, with clerical members controlling not only the top cabinet positions but the clear majority of subordinate positions within them.
C) The clergy is prevented from holding cabinet positions in these ministries, although they dominate and control the rest of Iran's ministries.
D) Iran's clerics are confined to working for only these five ministries and they are clearly subordinate to the ministers of these cabinet departments.
E) The clergy is not allowed to work in any of these ministries or the rest of Iran's bureaucracy.

Question 57

The Association of the Militant Clergy, otherwise known as populists or reformers

A) support the removal of price ceilings on essential goods.
B) rely on middle class support, especially the bazaars.
C) support the cutting of red tape and balancing the budget.
D) stress the importance of individual rights and the rule of law.
E) are denounced as pro-American Muslims.

Question 58

Following the Iranian Revolution, all of the following steps were taken to control Iran's armed forces EXCEPT

A) the regime purged the top ranks of the military.
B) the regime placed officers promoted from the Revolutionary Guards in command positions over the regular divisions.
C) the Leader placed chaplains in military units to watch over military officers.
D) the regime built up the Revolutionary Guards as a parallel military force.
E) in recent years, the regular military and Revolutionary Guards have been placed under the authority of the fundamentalist ideologically-inclined Basej. .

Question 59

Which three groups harbor the most resentment regarding the lack of civil rights from the Islamic Republic?

A) Military officers, the bazaari , and religious minorities
B) Modern middle class, the Azeri population, and the lower classes
C) Modern middle class, students, and military officers
D) Organized labor, the lower classes, and students
E) Jews, educated women, and students

Question 60

Which one of the following statements is NOT correct about Iran's judicial system?

A) Following the Iranian Revolution, even though the law was Islamized, the modern centralized judicial system, established under the Shah, was not dismantled.
B) The central state retains the right to intervene in the local judicial process.
C) Iran utilizes an extremely severe penal code called the Retribution Law.
D) Following the Iranian Revolution, the government purged the clergy from the judicial system.
E) Today, those guilty of breaking the law are treated as much as they are in the West.

Question 61

Compare and contrast Iran's reformers and conservatives. How do the beliefs of these two groups compare to one another? Explain the impact of these two groups upon Iranian politics.

Question 62

Describe the impact of the Constitutional Revolution upon the Iranian state, highlighting several of the political reforms implemented by the resulting 1906 constitution.  Explain several reasons why this regime failed.

Question 63

The 1979 Islamic Revolution has been variously described as a religious one and a nationalistic one. First, describe both the religious and nationalistic elements of the revolution. Next, construct an argument as to whether the revolution was predominately religious or nationalistic or a mixture of both.

Question 64

Some scholars see abundant oil resources as a resource curse, while others see it as a means for rapid development.  First, define the term, resource curse .  Second, describe the impact oil has played in Iran's economy and political system.  Finally, construct an argument concerning which description you find to be the most appropriate in the case of Iran.

Question 65

Discuss the relative role and powers of the Iranian Majles.  Explain two major limitations on the role and powers of this political institution.

Question 66

Explain how Iran's geography, language, history, and religion give it a distinct identity.

Question 67

Discuss the role and powers of the Supreme Leader within the Iranian political system.  How would you explain was the impact of the death of Ayatollah Khomeini upon this political office?  How would you assess the relative authority and power of this office today in relation to the rest of Iran's political institutions?

Question 68

Describe Ayatollah Khomeini's re-invention of the Shi'i term, velayat-e faqih (or jurist's guardianship).  Explain the necessity of this to the establishment of a theocracy in Iran.

Question 69

Discuss any two challenges facing Iran today, including the Democratic idea, the economy, and foreign policy.  Explain which one of these is the most pressing challenge for the country.  Assess whether the current regime is well suited to address this challenge.

Question 70

Describe the elements of democracy that are found in Iran's theocratic political system.  Explain the concessions that the country has made to democracy.  Assess the relative balance between democracy and theocracy within this political system.  How would you respond to the argument made by some scholars that democracy and Islam are incompatible?  Does Iran prove or disprove this argument?