The Iranian Revolution Then And Now Indicators Of Regime Instability [Paperback]

In The Iranian Revolution Then and Now, Dariush Zahedi assesses the Islamic Republic's potential for revolution through an in-depth, theoretically informed, comparative analysis of the present with 1979 pre-Revolutionary Iran. Zahedi discusses how the potential for a revolutionary coup is based on two things: the inherent defects and vulnerabilities in the regime and the coordinated actions of the social groups and individuals opposed to the regime. He also identifies two ?ideal-typical? forms of revolutionary change (the regime collapses on its own, or, the regime is overthrown). He concludes that the chances for overthrowing the present regime are moderate.Introduction -- The Problem of Revolution -- The Social Underpinnings of Present-Day and Prerevolutionary Regimes: The Intelligentsia, the Clerics, and the Bazaaris -- The Social Underpinnings of the Monarchy and the Theocracy: The Business Community, the Middle Class, and the Dispossessed -- The Oppositional Forces: From Temporary Cohesion to Large-Scale Demoralization and Disorganization -- Comparing the Nature and Leadership Qualities of Prerevolutionary and Postrevolutionary Authoritarian Regimes -- Conclusion: The Problem of Revolution Revisited