Pathology of the Policy-Making Process in Economic Development Programs in the Islamic Republic of Iran (Case Study: Comparison of the Khatami and Ahmadinejad Administrations)

Abstract

Growth and development are among the most significant contemporary challenges facing developing societies, as they both reflect the level of political, economic, and social cohesion and stability, and demonstrate the existing human, political, and economic capacities within these societies. The factors preventing the achievement of economic development goals in Iran are associated with multiple variables. This study, aiming to analyze the deficiencies of the decision-making processes in economic development programs from the perspective of public policy, examines the Khatami and Ahmadinejad administrations. The central research question is: What deficiencies have the decision-making processes in Iran’s economic development programs faced from the viewpoint of public policy during the Khatami and Ahmadinejad administrations? The main hypothesis is that both administrations encountered the challenge of multiplicity of decision-making centers; however, the Khatami administration benefited from a greater degree of economic liberalization, whereas the Ahmadinejad administration adopted a slogan-driven justice-oriented approach. This research is fundamental in nature and has been conducted using a descriptive-analytical approach and a case study method. Qualitative research tools such as collecting and reviewing printed sources, economic documents, economic and political narratives, as well as analyses and interpretations within the timeframe of the two administrations, were employed. The findings reveal that several key strategies can play a significant role in improving decision-making processes; if implemented simultaneously and integrated into the system, these strategies can lead to transparent and sustainable change in the development process. The objective of the study is to provide description, decomposition, analysis, and inference of the relationships among the available data, and to assess the degree of influence among variables in order to identify deficiencies and ultimately offer practical recommendations.