ABSTRACT
In the aftermath of the 1979 Revolution, the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) has not yet been able to put into operation its first economic development plan; in the absence of such a plan, the state has managed the economy partly through annual budgeting and partly on the basis of ad hoc policies. To appreciate the gravity of the problem, one must consider both the extent of the state’s involvement in the economy and the IRI’s proclaimed commitment to restructuring it. Islamic economics as a model for the organization of economic relations entered the Iranian arena of social and political thought in the very last phase of the Revolution. The construction of an Islamic economy was thus characterized by spontaneous and improvisational efforts to a much greater degree than was the construction of the political structure of the Islamic government. Iran has had extensive experience in economic planning.
