Power and Change in Iran: Politics of Contention and Conciliation (Middle East Studies)

This volume provides an unparalleled and timely look at political, social, economic, and ideological dynamics in contemporary Iran. Through chapters on social welfare and privatization, university education, the role and authority of the Supreme Leader, the rule of law, the evolving electoral system, and the intense debate over human rights within and outside the regime, the contributors offer a comprehensive overview of Iranian politics. Their case studies reveal a society whose multiple vectors of contestation, negotiation, and competition are creating possibilities for transformation that are yet to be realized but whose outcome will affect the Islamic Republic, the region, and relations with the United States.

Daniel Brumberg is Associate Professor of Government and Co-Director of Democracy and Governance Studies at Georgetown University and a Special Advisor to the United States Institute of Peace. His books include Reinventing Khomeini: The Struggle for Reform in Iran, Moyen Orient: L'Enjeu Democratique, and Islam and Democracy in the Middle East (coedited with Larry Diamond and Marc Plattner).

Farideh Farhi is an Independent Scholar and Affiliate Graduate Faculty at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. Her publications include States and Urban-Based Revolutions: Iran and Nicaragua.