DECISION MAKING IN IRAN'S FOREIGN POLICY: A HEURISTIC APPROACH

The Islamic Republic of Iran has recently constructed a uniqe administrative apparatus that blends parallel line of delibration from both its religious hierarchy and its parliamentary democracy. For foreign policy and international relations, the decision making process brings to bear the most important adminstrative bodies of both the government and the religious hierararchy. These different bodies help to comprise a system of checks and balances for some of the more pivotal levels in the deliberatvie process, i.e. the Foregin Ministry, the High Council for National Security (HCNS), the Presidency, and the Supreme Leader. We also see individual decision makers as agent-centered factionalism, which is an informal, though important part of the process.