BEYOND THE VEIL: LEGITIMACY CRISES, CIVIL DISSENT, AND THE STRUGGLE FOR IDENTITY IN POST-ISLAMIC REPUBLIC IRAN

Abstract

The political panorama of Iran today is defined by the catastrophic decline brought about by more than four decades of clerical mismanagement. Since 1979, a nation once celebrated for its modernization, rising prosperity, and international stature under the Pahlavi monarchy has been reduced to economic collapse, international isolation, and basic infrastructure failures, including chronic shortages of electricity and water. This paper examines the crises of legitimacy eroding the Islamic Republic, the roots of public dissent, and the growing calls for systemic change. By contrasting the achievements of the Pahlavi era with the failures of the post-1979 regime, it argues that a constitutional monarchy offers a credible path toward restoring stability, unity, and progress.

The study employs qualitative methods, including historical analysis, discourse analysis of political speeches, archival research, and thematic examination of protest slogans and media narratives. It also incorporates quantitative methods, such as statistical analysis of economic indicators (GDP growth, inflation, unemployment, poverty rates), public opinion polling, and protest participation data. This mixed-methods approach provides both the empirical and contextual depth needed to assess Iran’s political trajectory and evaluate the viability of a constitutional monarchy as a unifying and stabilizing alternative.