فصلنامه مجلس و راهبرد
پیاپی 72 (زمستان 1391)

Identifying the prevailing social order is the basic core of the long-term policy-making process on development in developing countries so that long-term policies could be designed based on the gradual changing of the social order. Evaluating the success rate of the policies is based on considerations of political economy. While latent social conflicts in policies are considered, losers and winners of policy-makings are identified and compensatory mechanisms for losers are designed in overall context of gradual improvement of social order. Then, methods of organizing policies are considered on the basis of proximate causes (i.e., physical and human investing and technology) and fundamental causes (i.e., institutions, culture and geography) of development. Designing a consistent policy package based on the approach leads to a double balance of economic and political systems and to balanced development and avoids involving in the low-level equilibrium trap and its consequences (including riot, coup and revolution). The article shows that Iranian experiences on development are consistent with this approach.

The effective role of political elite in political, social, economic and cultural development is considerable. Its realization depends, to a large extent, on their intellectual coherence and large consensus in the theoretical and executive fields. These coherence and consensus, alongside avoidance of destructive disputes and conflicts, indicate rationality in politics, which has positive results and benefits. This has greater importance in Islamic Republic of Iran, which is based on religious democracy and the progressive principle of velayat-e faqih. Emerging conflicts among political elite and the heads of legislative, judiciary and executive is one of the most important issues of political system which leads to weakening Iran and wasting of national capabilities, capacities and capitals. The article addresses management of conflict resolution theoretically and discusses about the most important grounds and factors of conflicts and strategies for its management in Quran and traditions. Conflicts of political elite are largely rooted in their different interpretations of laws and provisions, disobedience, ignorance, materialism, arrogance, jealousy, suspicion, hypocrisy, factionalism and excess. Among effective strategies for its management are inter se reconciliation, resignation, acceptance and support, compromise, competition and cooperation through techniques such as dialogue, negotiation and mediation.

Saudi Arabia, as an important and influential country in the Middle East, has adopted a hostile and confrontational foreign policy against Islamic Republic of Iran since the Revolution 1979. The main question is about the most important factor in its policy against Iran. The article assumes that Saudi Arabia’s identity-based perceptions and conceptions have led it to this policy and, with a constructivist approach, identifies the identity as the most important factor in Saudi Arabia's foreign policy against Iran.

Using different technology presumptions by Central Bank and Statistical Center of Iran in designing symmetric tables has confused the users. Users have two solutions for this problem: using the symmetric tables irrespective of the technology presumptions in different economic areas or calculating them based on make-use matrices proportionality to specific goals before using. The article addresses the later. Eight symmetric tables are calculated based on last aggregated statistical make-use matrices designed by Central Bank and Statistical Center of Iran in 1999 and 2001 and are compared with the present tables emphasizing the production structure of petroleum and natural gas. Findings of the research reveal that all elements of the mentioned tables are meaningful and should not easily be modified and removed.

Exploration, extraction and exploitation of underground resources of oil and gas necessitate high costs and risks. For this reason, countries having the reservoirs try to make contracts with foreign companies. International oil contracts in the upstream sector could be classified into risk and nonrisk contracts. Partnership contracts for production are risk contracts upon which the contractors’ fees and risk awards are paied from oil and gas production at the point of delivery determined in the contract between state and contractors. Assuming the rule of the host country’s laws on interpretation of or arbitration in disputes resulting the contracts and assuming their non-contradiction with requirements of sovereignty and national ownership over natural resources accordance with the last international treaties, the article argues that, in Iranian legal system, these contracts are acceptable and legal and more consistent with national sovereignty and ownership over underground resources than concession and exclusive contracts.

According to Iranian Vision Document 2025, Iran tries to win the first place of economic development among Southwest Asia countries. Also, being progressive is one of the five basic features of the vision of Iran’s Tax Organization. The question is about the extent of tax efforts in Iran in comparison with the mentioned countries and its place among them according to the index. Using data for the period of 2006-2010 and estimating potential tax capacities of Iran and Southwest Asia countries by panel data regression methods, the research indicates that Iran has no proper place in this respect. Therefore, achieving the goals of the Vision Document necessitates double efforts in remaining years.