3rd Period Notes from Thursday April 2nd 2009

Legistlature
-290 seats elected by citizens over the age of 16 and serve 4 yr terms
-Has fair amount of authority. Can pass laws and statues. Only if the Guardian Council accepts it and follow Islamic law and Constitution law.
-Parliament chooses 6 of the 12 members of the Guardian Council.
-Parliament can investigate cabinet ministries and public complaints about the executive and judicial branch whenever.
-Can remove cabinet members except the President through a vote of no confidence
-Can withhold foreign loans, international treaties, and cabinet appointments
-Free to have closed debates, provides with immunity of arrest.
-Ruling elite decided to create a new council in 1988 called the Council for Expediency of the State or Expediency Council (EC) for short.
-EC is appointed by the Supreme Leader to 5 year term/3 year terms not totally sure.
-EC composed of 2 dozens of political elites and has the heads of the 3 branches of gov.
-EC resolves policy disputes that serves best for Iran.
-The Guardian Council, committee chairs, and cabinet ministers can serve temporarily in the EC.

Judiciary
-Supreme Leader appoints head of judiciary who is called the Chief Judge and muist be a cleric
-Court system is suppose to independent
-It has a penal code, or retribution law, based on a norrow reading of the Sharia.
-Law code mandates death penalty on things like adultry, drug trafficking, murder, and other stuff.

Bureaucracy
-Since Islamic Revolution bureacuracies have been staffed by technocrats that maintain close ties with the clergy.
-After revolution bureacrats are dossel, and do what they are told.
-They dont take a political party and can work with any president
-The bureaucracy in Iran is a bit large for its needs.
-Good deal of clientalism, corruption, and patronage.
-Military made up of Army and Revolution Guards
-Revolution Guards are entrusted to maintain internal security
-The army protects the borders of Iran
-Iran military has not intervined with politics, they respect change in power.
-Revolution Guards have conservatives and reformists.
-Top leaders of Revolution Guards are very loyal to the Supreme Leader.