Iran — Pahlavi monarchy (1941–1979)
Iran
Basis for the estimate: Shah's monarchy: White Revolution modernization, SAVAK repression, secularizing reforms.
Official system and how it worked in practice
| Official system | Constitutional monarchy under the 1906 constitution |
|---|---|
| In practice | Closed autocracy no multiparty elections for the chief executive |
“In practice” is V-Dem’s Regimes of the World classification for Iran, 1941–1979, 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 | 55 | near the center | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 36 | near the center | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 90 | strongly toward authoritarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 92 | strongly toward nationalist | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 56 | near the center |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 71 | toward private ownership |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 84 | toward state restrictions |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 92 | strongly toward nationalist |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 40 | near the center |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 97 | strongly toward autocratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 81 | toward hierarchical |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 70 | toward state planning |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 56 | near the center |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 28 | toward secular state |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Religious doctrine should take precedence over civil law when they conflict. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| The means of production should ultimately be owned collectively. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| National borders should become less important over time. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| A strong leader who gets things done matters more than following proper procedures. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| National security can justify restrictions on what journalists publish. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| Class distinctions should gradually disappear. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Same-sex couples should have the same right to marry as opposite-sex couples. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| Regulations on business should be minimized whenever possible. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Non-intervention should be the default even when allies request military assistance. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| National legislation should reflect the moral teachings of the country’s majority religion. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
Closest ideologies
Most similar governments
Sources
- Wikipedia: Pahlavi Iran (Wikipedia search)
Last reviewed October 11, 2026.