ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book talks about modern Iran after its mass-based 1979 revolution. More precisely, it explains the political order that followed the fall of the monarchy – the Islamic Republic of Iran and its political, economic and foreign relations complexities. The book addresses the problems of governing through a combination of 'Iranianness' and 'Islamicness' through a series of focused discussions on the politics, political economy and international relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran – the essence of the country. It concerns the theoretical and methodological problems associated with contextualization of a modern republic, which, unlike so many others in the non-Western world, has the base of an ancient civilization to draw on and a long tradition of governance. The book also focuses on three core areas of political structures and processes, political economy, and international relations.
