Deck 13: Iran

Question 1

The Resurgence Party was created to

A) form a viable opposition to the Shah.
B) increase the power of the clerics.
C) create another organizational link between the Shah's government and the population.
D) institute the process of a competitive multiparty system.
E) bring the ayatollahs to power.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Mosaddeq nationalized

A) the Suez Canal.
B) the oil industry.
C) steel.
D) railways.
E) financial institutions.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

President Ahmadinejad won the presidency because

A) he promised to reverse many of the liberal changes implemented under Khatami.
B) he took a hard line on Israel saying that it should be wiped off the face of the earth.
C) he promised to reduce poverty and promote social justice.
D) he promised to stand up to the United States on the issue of Iran's nuclear program.
E) All of the above are reasons that President Ahmadinejad won the election.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

The Resurgence Party was created in

A) 1979.
B) 1981.
C) 1975.
D) 1941.
E) 1970.

Question 5

Public resentment grew against the Qajars due to

A) the persecution of religious minorities.
B) widespread violations of basic civil rights.
C) the lack of public legitimacy of government institutions.
D) their inability to protect the country from repeated invasions.
E) their economic concessions to European countries.

Question 6

Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was installed with absolute power

A) by referendum.
B) after a protracted civil war.
C) by army officers with financial backing from the Soviet Union.
D) after a vote by the Majles.
E) by army officers with financial backing from the United States and Britain.

Question 7

The White Revolution was the Shah's effort to

A) modernize Iran's legal code and court system by introducing a European style civil code and a modern judicial system.
B) modernize Iran's military.
C) end corruption and state control over the media.
D) promote economic development and introduce social reform like enfranchising women.
E) introduce intensive farming techniques to make Iran less dependent upon food imports.

Question 8

The leader of the Islamic Revolution was

A) Reza Shah
B) The Ayatollah Khomeini.
C) Muhammad Mosaddeq.
D) Mehdi Bazargan.
E) Mahud Ahmadinejad.

Question 9

Shi'ism is the majority religion in

A) Iran.
B) Iraq.
C) Azerbaijan.
D) Eastern Turkey.
E) Shi'ism is the majority religion in all of the above countries.

Question 10

The Constitutional Revolution occurred in

A) 1921.
B) 1941.
C) 1905-1909.
D) 1979.
E) 1900-1905.

Question 11

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 would be the official religion of Iran.
E) ceded authority to the Ottoman Empire.

Question 12

The majority of Iranians speak

A) Arabic.
B) Persian or Farsi.
C) Turkish.
D) Pashtuun.
E) Kurdish.

Question 13

The Pahlavi dynasty was established in

A) 1941.
B) 1953.
C) 1906.
D) 1925.
E) 1900.

Question 14

Which of the following was responsible for the dominance of Shi'ism in the region of Iran?

A) Ottomans
B) Zoroastrians
C) Pahlavi
D) Safavids
E) Qajar

Question 15

Which government body has the power to determine whether laws conform to Islamic law and the Islamic Constitution?

A) Guardian Council
B) Majles
C) Supreme Leader
D) President
E) Ayatollahs

Question 16

Iran is notable for which geographic feature?

A) It has many navigable rivers and fertile lands.
B) Most of the lands are dominated by mountains that have protected it from invasions.
C) It is home to the Aral Sea that creates a fertile region for agriculture.
D) Most of its territory is inhospitable to agriculture, and it lies at a strategic crossroads that has made it vulnerable to invasions.
E) The country is dominated by deserts and river valleys.

Question 17

The shari'a is based on

A) the Qur'an
B) the teachings of the Prophet.
C) examples set by the Prophet.
D) the teachings of the Twelve Imans (according to the Shi'ias).
E) The shari'a is based on all of the above.

Question 18

The term People of the Book refers to those who

A) are religious.
B) worship a book.
C) read the Qur'an.
D) are the officially recognized minorities such as Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians.
E) are Muslim.

Question 19

The primary difference between Sunni and Shi'a is

A) whether all Muslims have to make a pilgrimage to Mecca.
B) who would have succeeded the Prophet Mohammad.
C) the roots of shari'a law.
D) whether or not the Prophet was divine.
E) how much Muslims should modernize.

Question 20

SAVAK was famous for its

A) humanitarian activities.
B) educational activities.
C) religious enterprises.
D) secret police work.
E) trade unions.

Question 21

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

A) It said that Islam approved of large families and that Iran's strength lay in having a large population.
B) It instituted a law allowing only one child per family.
C) It granted subsidies to families with three or more children.
D) Originally, it encouraged large families but then reversed its position when the social costs became apparent.
E) It offered financial incentives to families to limit themselves to one child.

Question 22

Iran helped the international coalition overthrow the Taliban in Afghanistan because it

A) was Sunni.
B) was created by Pakistan.
C) had massacred Shi'a Afghans.
D) was associated with Saudi Arabia.
E) All of the above are true statements.

Question 23

For Iranian Shi'is, the term Iman is reserved for

A) the clerical elite.
B) individuals who lead Islamic worship services.
C) Islamic community leaders.
D) Ali and his 12 direct descendents and Ruhollah Khomeini.
E) all of the above.

Question 24

Which of the following is TRUE of Iran's economy in the pre-Islamic Revolutionary period?

A) It was an important member of OPEC.
B) It was a major purchaser of arms, especially from the United States.
C) It imported many products from the West that sometimes had a detrimental effect on domestic production.
D) The country became dependent on oil as a commodity that was subject to volatile market prices.
E) All of the above are true of Iran's economy in the pre-Islamic Revolutionary period.

Question 25

Shari'a is based on all of the following inequalities EXCEPT those

A) between men and women.
B) between rich and poor.
C) between Muslims and non-Muslims,
D) between legitimate minorities and illegitimate ones.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 26

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) Rallies that attracted support from a broad array of groups
D) International pressures from human rights organizations
E) Massive general strikes that brought the country's economy to a halt

Question 27

Iran's main economic problem has been

A) the impact of a population explosion.
B) declining tax revenue.
C) instability in the world oil market.
D) the impact of economic sanctions due to its nuclear enrichment program.
E) the lack of qualified workers due to the emigration of 3 million workers following the Islamic Revolution.

Question 28

Which of the following statements about nuclear power and Iran is TRUE?

A) Despite pressures by the international community, Iran is likely to develop nuclear weapons in the near future.
B) The Obama Administration accepts Iran's right to enrich uranium so long as it guarantees that it does not do so to the point of producing nuclear weapons.
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) Iran has publicly expressed a desire to enhance its nuclear power programs as well as publicly renouncing any desire to build nuclear weapons.

Question 29

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 30

The term dual society refers to a

A) wide gap between the richest and poorest segments of society.
B) modernized 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 31

___________ is often called the true theorist of the Islamic Revolution.

A) Ali Shariati
B) Iman Husayn
C) Jalal Al-e-Ahmand
D) Muhammad Khatemi
E) Reza Khan

Question 32

The ____ drew up the constitution of the Islamic Republic.

A) Assembly of Religious Experts
B) Guardian Council
C) SAVAK
D) Majles
E) Resurgence Party

Question 33

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 34

The Leader is chosen by the

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

Question 35

Some suspect that the seizure of the American embassy and the subsequent hostage crisis was engineered

A) in retaliation for past interference from the United States.
B) as a warning to the United States and its European allies, especially Britain, not to interfere with the Islamic Revolution.
C) to shore up popular support for the Ayatollah.
D) to preempt attacks from domestic groups opposed to the new constitution.
E) to undercut Bazargan and to ensure the ratification of the Islamic Constitution.

Question 36

A country that makes a lucrative income by exporting raw materials 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 37

Vast amounts of oil revenues had which of the following consequences in Iran?

A) Citizens paid very little for gasoline.
B) It increased pressures for democratic reforms.
C) The state was able to attract foreign investment in the manufacturing sector due tax incentives.
D) The oil fields had a detrimental impact on agriculture leading to several devastating famines.
E) The state was independent of society since it did not depend on society for tax revenue.

Question 38

Which of the following helped the clerics to consolidate power?

A) Khomeini's charisma and popularity
B) Iraq's invasion of Iran
C) The rise in the price of oil
D) Both Khomeini's charisma and the rise in the price of oil
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 39

Iran's constitution following the Islamic Revolution

A) established a democratic Islamic Republic.
B) was drawn up by the Hezbollahis.
C) was publicly endorsed by the pasdaran which forced Iran's middle-ranking clerics to support the new regime.
D) was submitted to a public vote with 99 percent of those voting endorsing it.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 40

The Islamic Republic is most aptly called a regime of the

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

Question 41

Iran's semipublic institutions

A) existed under the Shah and 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) have become weaker as a result of the state's move to privatize them.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 42

The term "Green Movement" refers to

A) the mass demonstrations that developed to overthrow the Shah in 1979.
B) Iran's environmental movement.
C) the protests that broke out following the 2009 Iranian presidential elections.
D) demonstrations by Iranian farmers for land reform.
E) an Iranian political party associated with President Khatami.

Question 43

Political parties in Iran

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

Question 44

All of the following are examples of how the Islamic revolutionary state held ultimate control over the justice system EXCEPT

A) the hierarchy of state courts.
B) local shari'a judges pronouncing final verdicts.
C) an appeals system.
D) the power to appoint and dismiss all judges.
E) All of these are examples of how the Islamic revolutionary state held ultimate control over the justice system.

Question 45

In what ways are Iran's conservatives similar to U.S. conservatives?

A) Their core base of support is limited to less than 30 percent of the electorate.
B) They often resort to patriotic and populist language to energize supporters to vote.
C) They often stress national security and accuse liberals of not standing up to foreign enemies.
D) They believe in the free market.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 46

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) Basij

Question 47

When describing the legislature, the constitution uses the term qanun (statutes) rather than shari'a (divine law) to

A) distinguish between civil and family law.
B) distinguish between religious and civil law.
C) distinguish between Islamic law and western law.
D) compromise between hardliners and reformists.
E) gloss over the issue of whether laws come from God or the people.

Question 48

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

A) 1995.
B) 1999.
C) 2003.
D) 2007.
E) 2010.

Question 49

The Retribution Law immediately following the Islamic Revolution promoted a narrow interpretation of Islamic law by

A) mandating the death penalty for moral transgressions.
B) sanctioning stoning, live burials and finger amputations.
C) treating the evidence of one male Muslim as equal to that of two female Muslims.
D) outlawing lending with usury.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 50

Which agency has the authority to approve candidates for elections?

A) Guardian Council
B) Assembly of Religious Experts
C) Expediency Council
D) Interior Ministry
E) National Election Board

Question 51

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.

Question 52

The members of the Expediency Council could be described as

A) the highest ranking clerics in Iran.
B) the inner circle of the policy-making elite.
C) reformers intent on modernizing Iran.
D) ultra-conservatives intent on preserving the country's theocratic features.
E) a mixture of regular military officers and Revolutionary Guard leaders.

Question 53

Which of the following describes the difference between the Revolutionary Guard and the regular military?

A) The former is reserved for Muslims and the latter for non-Muslims.
B) The former is a volunteer militia created during the Iran-Iraq War.
C) The former receives about double the funding of the latter.
D) The former protects the country from internal threats whereas the latter protects it from external ones.
E) The former is a reservist unit whereas the latter is full time.

Question 54

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 55

The Majles is elected by the

A) Leader.
B) Guardian Council.
C) Assembly of Religious Experts.
D) General electorate.
E) Leaders of local governmental councils.

Question 56

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 57

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 58

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.
C) support the cutting of red tape.
D) stress the importance of individual rights and the rule of law.
E) are denounced as pro-American Muslims.

Question 59

The Guardian Council is formed of

A) Ayatollahs.
B) Hojjat al-Islams.
C) Ulama.
D) Six clerics and six jurists.
E) Senior clerics.

Question 60

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

A) It amended the Iranian constitution during the last months of Khomeini's life.
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.

Question 61

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 birth rates 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 62

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 Majles.
D) have established their own political organizations like the Women's One Million Signature Campaign.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 63

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

A) Military officers, educated women, and organized labor
B) Modern middle class, educated women, and organized labor
C) Modern middle class, students, and military officers
D) Organized labor, Christians, and students
E) Jews, educated women, and students

Question 64

Some scholars posit that democracy and Islam are incompatible. Does Iran prove or disprove this argument? In your response, note the authoritarian features of the theocratic regime as well as the concessions it has made to democracy. Moreover, address whether the nondemocratic elements of the regime are a result of features unique to Iran.

Question 65

The Shah undertook many changes in Iranian society. First, briefly describe these changes. Second, assess both the negative and positive impacts that these changes had on the country. Finally, evaluate which of these changes led to his downfall.

Question 66

Discuss the negative and positive impact of oil upon Iran. Note both the economic and political impacts as well as the domestic and international effects in your discussion.

Question 67

The United States has 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) training and supporting insurgents in Iraq.

Question 68

The 2004 election was notable because

A) the Guardian Council disqualified several thousand conservative candidates.
B) reform candidates were elected to a majority of the Majles.
C) voter turnout was at a historic high of 90 percent.
D) the Guardian Council disqualified several thousand reform minded candidates.
E) they were the first democratic elections in Iran.

Question 69

Discuss the role of the Supreme Leader. Does this institution remain the dominant political player even after the death of Khomeini?

Question 70

Discuss any three challenges facing Iran today. Is the current structure of the regime well suited to address these challenges?

Question 71

All of the following are TRUE of the treatment of Baha'is EXCEPT

A) their leaders have been executed as "heretics" and "imperialist spies."
B) they have been fired from their jobs and their property confiscated.
C) they have been expelled.
D) they have been imprisoned and tortured.
E) their shrines and cemeteries have been desecrated.

Question 72

Which of the following ethno-linguistic groups in Iran does NOT practice Sunni Islam?

A) Kurds
B) Turkmans
C) Arabs
D) Baluchis
E) Armenians

Question 73

Azeris are a(n):

A) Sunni minority.
B) Christian minority.
C) Jewish minority.
D) linguistic minority.
E) ethnic minority.

Question 74

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

Question 75

How many political prisoners were executed in the first two decades of the Islamic Republic?

A) 500
B) 5000
C) 10,000
D) 20,000
E) 25,000

Question 76

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, frame an argument as to whether the revolution was predominately religious or nationalistic or a mixture of both.

Question 77

In contrast to events 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 by critical elements within the armed forces for Ahmadinijad and the Supreme Leader.
E) all of the above.