Political Participation in Context: Reformism and Elite Factionalism After the Iran-Iraq War

Chapter 2 discusses the historical background against which this research develops. Where do reformists come from? Who are they? How and when did they rise to power? This chapter examines the history of factionalism in post-revolutionary Iran, identifying factions and the issues that have structured elite conflicts, with a specific focus on the post-Iran-Iraq war era. Central to this analysis is how popular participation has related to intra-elite contention over the decades. This chapter analyses the origin of the Islamic left and right, their ideological transformations, and the development of diverse perspectives on political participation and dissent. It discusses the origin of the reformist front and its internal subgroups. The chapter follows the evolution of the factional system, analysing the impact of intra-elite alliances on the possibilities for political participation during the years between the end of the Iran-Iraq war and the reform era.