ABSTRACT
Iran's political system is unique in the world. Iran is neither a secular state nor a theocracy, neither a totalitarian dictatorship nor a representative democracy. Iran has a free enterprise system with government and quasi-governmental institutions monopolizing large sectors of the economy. After descending into the labyrinth of Tehran's covered bazaar, a visitor passes hundreds of small stands and shops selling everything from housewares to handwoven Persian carpets. The Islamic Republic set up a vast network of bonyads, non-profit charities, as a way to help the poor, war veterans, and others. The reformist camp—composed of some former revolutionary student leaders, liberal-minded clergy, professionals, and private-sector businesspeople—tapped a deep vein of discontent among Iranians. Ahmadinejad proposed to allow women into strictly segregated seating as a concession to Iranian soccer mania that reached a crescendo in the months before the 2006 World Cup. The ultra-conservative camp, which had a long and testy relationship with Rafsanjani, united behind Ahmadinejad.
