The Effect of Political Participation on the International Status of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Case Study: Comparative Comparison of the Presidential Elections of 2012 and 2021)

Document Type : Original Article from Result of Thesis

Authors

• Mohammad Aghaalikhani ¹
• Asghar Partovi ²

¹ PhD. Student in Political Science Dep., Faculty of Theology, Law and Political Science, Research Sciences Unit, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

² Assistant Professor at Political Science Department , Faculty of Humanities, Zanjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran.

Abstract

Highlights

Introduction

Political participation is the manifestation of people's intention to determine their collective destiny in society. The only peaceful method for transferring political power is through public participation; in addition, the degree of a country's political development depends directly on this component. Political participation enhances citizens' political understanding, their accountability, and their perception of being in control of the political system, as well as their sense of commitment to the government. "Election" is an important topic in the field of "political participation" discussions. Although elections are considered to be an important instance of internal policy affair as well as a national issue, the interrelationship between elections and foreign policy is an objective example of how interweaving the domestic policy and foreign policy are. This is not limited to a specific country; rather, it is a universal political phenomenon. The adhesion of foreign and domestic policies as well as the mutual relationship between them is an obvious and concrete fact. In an era of interdependence, there is a deep and unbreakable bond between civil society and foreign policy-making. The strengthening of civil society results in the structural and functional reform of foreign policy-making. In other words, having the support of the public especially in the national levels strengthens the status of a country in bilateral, regional and international interactions and relationships and creates many opportunities for that country in these fields. There is no doubt that public participation in the elections can help realize such goals as political development, consolidating and expanding political, social, and cultural unity and strengthening the ties between the people and the ruling system in dealing with common threats. Indeed, there is a direct and close relationship between political participation and strengthening the role of countries in the field of foreign policy to ensure national interests and security.

Therefore, the authors seeks to answer the question of what impacts will political participation has on the international status of the Islamic Republic of Iran and how can these impacts be explained in 2013 and 2021.

The hypothesis of the research is based on the assumption that more political participation results in a stronger international status for the Islamic Republic of Iran. This was fully demonstrated by the 2013 election impact on the JCPOA issue. On the other hand, less political participation leads to the weakening of the international status of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and this issue was felt more in the 2021 election. Therefore, this article aims to investigate the impacts of political participation on the international status of the Islamic Republic of Iran (case study: comparative comparison of the presidential elections of 2013 and 2021).

Research Method
The research method is descriptive-analytical.

Results and Finding
The results of present research indicate that there is a significant difference between the 2013 and 2021 presidential elections in terms of the impact of political participation on the international status of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In the 2013 presidential election, due to a more liberal approach to the qualification process of the candidates, a 72.7% participation rate was achieved which is a desired rate. This rate of participation had many beneficial impacts in all fields, especially in establishing positive and constructive communication and interaction with the world, including European, regional and extra-regional countries.
However, in the 2021 presidential election, due to some essential factors, such as the disqualification of many candidates by the Guardian Council, economic problems, the incompetence of the officials, and the monopolization of the elections, political participation was at a much lower level. In this election, the participation rate was 48.8%, which means less than half of the number of eligible voters casted their votes. This low participation resulted in many unfavorable results, including the JCPOA and nuclear issue complications, human rights problems, and tensions in the relationships with neighboring countries. Unfortunately, we did not witness the formation of pluralism and political competition in this election.

Consequently, due to the prevailing conditions, i.e. the existence of structures arising from the Islamic revolution, as well as the cultural changes resulting from the cultural globalization phenomenon, the rationalization of political culture in Iranian society should be done consciously. The solution to this is to pay due attention to the explanation of the structures that citizens have in relation to the three levels of the political system (system, process, policy-making), which can be achieved by building the trust in the people by the politicians. So, in addition to using the relationship between the government and the people, political culture is one of the main elements. Identifying the reasons why a healthy political tradition and culture has not formed in Iran throughout its political history creates positive developments in all existing fields, especially in the field of political culture and cultural-political laws.

Conclusion

The results of present research indicate that there is a significant difference between the 2013 and 2021 presidential elections in terms of the impact of political participation on the international status of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In the 2013 presidential election, due to a more liberal approach to the qualification process of the candidates, a 72.7% participation rate was achieved which is a desired rate. This rate of participation had many beneficial impacts in all fields, especially in establishing positive and constructive communication and interaction with the world, including European, regional and extra-regional countries.

However, in the 2021 presidential election, due to some essential factors, such as the disqualification of many candidates by the Guardian Council, economic problems, the incompetence of the officials, and the monopolization of the elections, political participation was at a much lower level. In this election, the participation rate was 48.8%, which means less than half of the number of eligible voters casted their votes. This low participation resulted in many unfavorable results, including the JCPOA and nuclear issue complications, human rights problems, and tensions in the relationships with neighboring countries. Unfortunately, we did not witness the formation of pluralism and political competition in this election.

Keywords

• Political participation
• elections
• legitimacy
• international order
• international status

Main Subjects

• Iran
• Islamic Republic of Iran
• State
• Internationals Relations