Iran — Islamic Republic (1979–present)
Iran
Basis for the estimate: Clerical rule (velayat-e faqih), Guardian Council veto, mandatory hijab, proxy network.
Official system and how it worked in practice
| Official system | Islamic republic: an elected president and parliament under an unelected Supreme Leader, with candidates vetted by the Guardian Council |
|---|---|
| In practice, 1979 | Closed autocracy no multiparty elections for the chief executive |
| In practice, 1980–2020 | Electoral autocracy multiparty elections, but without sufficient freedom, fairness or protection of basic freedoms |
| In practice, 2021–2023 | Closed autocracy no multiparty elections for the chief executive |
| In practice, 2024–2025 | Electoral autocracy multiparty elections, but without sufficient freedom, fairness or protection of basic freedoms |
“In practice” is V-Dem’s Regimes of the World classification for Iran, 1979–2025, from expert-coded data (V-Dem Regimes of the World (v2x_regime), V-Dem dataset v16, March 2026). V-Dem codes each country as it stood at the end of each year, so the first and last years can reflect the previous or next government. The official system is the constitutional form during the period.
Political placement
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 33 | toward collective / planned | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 100 | strongly toward traditional | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 88 | strongly toward authoritarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 87 | strongly toward nationalist | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 78 | toward intervention |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 40 | near the center |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 83 | toward state restrictions |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 87 | strongly toward nationalist |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 100 | strongly toward traditionalist |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 93 | strongly toward autocratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 78 | toward hierarchical |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 78 | toward state planning |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 78 | toward intervention |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 100 | strongly toward religious authority |
Country and government scores interpret the policies of a specific government or period; they are not an authoritative ranking of countries, and official constitutional structures can differ from how power is exercised in practice. How scores are made.
Key positions (estimated)
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| A national religious authority should have the power to veto legislation. | Strongly agrees | from their record |
| Social media companies should be legally required to remove misinformation. | Strongly agrees | from their record |
| National borders should become less important over time. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Traditional values should guide what society considers right and wrong. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| Paid sick leave and paid parental leave should be guaranteed by law. | Strongly agrees | from their record |
| A strong leader who gets things done matters more than following proper procedures. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| Foreign wars should be avoided unless national territory is directly threatened. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Class distinctions should gradually disappear. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| The means of production should ultimately be owned collectively. | Disagrees | estimated |
| A naturalized citizen can belong to the nation as fully as someone born there. | Disagrees | estimated |
Closest ideologies
Falangeism89% similar positionFascism88% similar positionItalian Fascism88% similar positionTheocracy87% similar positionState Corporatism86% similar position
Most similar governments
Turkey — Erdoğan government (2014–present)88% similarItaly — Fascist regime (1922–1943)88% similarRussia — Putin governments (2000–present)86% similarGermany — Nazi government (1933–1945)85% similarIndia — Modi administration (2014–present)79% similar
Sources
- Wikipedia: Politics of Iran (Wikipedia search)
Last reviewed October 11, 2026.