Book contents
- Righteous Politics
- Righteous Politics
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Tables
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Authoritarian Perseverance
- 3 Ruling under Stress
- 4 The Constitution, Elections, and Legitimacy
- 5 Elected Institutions
- 6 The Unelected Leadership
- 7 The Praetorians
- 8 Maintaining the System
- 9 The Deep State
- 10 Intra-elite Dynamics
- 11 The State and Its Riches
- 12 Conclusion
- Appendix
- Select Bibliography
- Index
10 - Intra-elite Dynamics
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 August 2023
- Righteous Politics
- Righteous Politics
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Tables
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Authoritarian Perseverance
- 3 Ruling under Stress
- 4 The Constitution, Elections, and Legitimacy
- 5 Elected Institutions
- 6 The Unelected Leadership
- 7 The Praetorians
- 8 Maintaining the System
- 9 The Deep State
- 10 Intra-elite Dynamics
- 11 The State and Its Riches
- 12 Conclusion
- Appendix
- Select Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Far from undermining it, factionalism actually keeps the Islamic Republic state flexible and dynamic, therefore helping its resilience. States, authoritarian or otherwise, preside over societies in which a majority of the population is politically ambivalent. Among those who are politically aware, and even among those only tangentially interested in politics, factionalism allows the state to expand the scope of its ideological appeal. It also prevents political elites from taking for granted their hold on power, forcing them to forge and maintain bonds with intended constituents. In Iran, political power is held among a relatively small group of elites. But this elite is far from static. It circulates from office to office, and groups within it often change their doctrinal inflections, factional positions, and coalition partners. The ensuing dynamism helps the system endure.
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- Information
- Righteous PoliticsPower and Resilience in Iran, pp. 266 - 299Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023