Understanding Iran / / Jerrold D. Green, Frederic Wehrey, Charles Wolf, Jr.

• Author: Rand Corporation.; Green, Jerrold D.
• TeilnehmendeR: Wehrey, Frederic M.; Wolf, Charles, 1924-; Rand Corporation.
• Year of Publication: 2009
• Language: English
• Series: RAND Corporation monograph series Understanding Iran
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (167 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

Iran remains among the most poorly understood countries in the world and, for most Americans, terra incognita. A small community of American analysts in the government, academia, and the country's think tanks is, of course, working on Iran, but the overwhelming majority of them have never been to Iran or have visited only briefly. The consequences of this unfamiliarity have been distinctly negative for American policy, pushing most analyses toward a highly reductionist view. This monograph, the result of a workshop and the authors' own experience and analysis, is a concise, accessible handbook

Table of Contents

Cover; Preface; Contents; Figures and Tables; Summary; Acknowledgments; Abbreviations; CHAPTER ONE- Introduction; Birth of the Project; Background; Contents of This Document; CHAPTER TWO- Features of the Iranian System; Iran's Political Landscape: Individuals and Institutions; The Iranian Economy: Oil Dependency, Key Actors, and Policies; The Elite's Political Culture: Factionalism and Informality; Iran's Approach to Its Arab Neighbors: Implications for Iranian Behavior and U.S. Policy; Iran's Negotiating Style

CHAPTER THREE- Conclusion: Iran Is Unlike Other Countries but Hardly Beyond Understanding APPENDIX A- Workshop Agenda; APPENDIX B- Workshop Papers; APPENDIX C- Biographies of Workshop Participants; References