Op-Ed The Causes and Consequences of Iran's June 2005 Presidential Election; Strategic Insights: v.4, issue 8 (August 2005)
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Authors
Gasiorowski, Mark
Subjects
Advisors
Date of Issue
2005-08
Date
August 2005
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a hardline conservative Islamist, scored a stunning victory in the second round of Iran's June 2005 presidential election. Many observers have described Ahmadinejads victory as a key turning point for Iran, predicting that it will produce a new era of radical, puritanical rule at home and greater militancy in Iran's foreign policy. However, Iran's new president will face important political obstacles that will limit his ability to act, so it is not clear whether, and to what extent, he will be able to carry out such drastic changes. This article examines why Ahmadinejad achieved such a decisive victory and what consequences his victory may have for Iranian politics and for Irans domestic and foreign policy. Its main conclusion is that domestic and international political realities will place substantial limitations on Ahmadinejad, making it harder for him to pursue his agenda in some policy areas than in others. Ahmadinejad's victory probably will have a fairly big impact on domestic economic policy and political conditions inside Iran, but its impact on socio-cultural conditions and foreign policy probably will be more limited.
Type
Article
Description
This article appeared in Strategic Insights (August 2005), v.4 no.8
Series/Report No
Strategic Insights
Department
National Security Affairs (NSA)
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Strategic Insights, v.6, issue 8 (2005 August)
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.