Iran's Political Economy since the Revolution

Over three decades after the Iranian Revolution reconfigured the strategic landscape in the Middle East, scholars are still trying to decipher its aftereffects. Suzanne Maloney provides the first comprehensive overview of Iran's political economy since the 1979 revolution and offers detailed examinations of two aspects of the Iranian economy of direct interest to scholars and non-specialist readers of Iran: the energy sector and the role of sanctions. Based on the author's research as both a scholar and government advisor, the book also features interviews with American and Iranian government officials. Moving chronologically from the early years under Khomeini, through the economic deprivations of the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq war, through liberalization under Khatami to the present, Maloney offers fascinating insights into Iran's domestic politics and how economic policies have affected ideology, leadership priorities, and foreign relations.

'No American writes as incisively about modern Iran as Suzanne Maloney. This is a superb book.' Nicholas Burns, Harvard University, Massachusetts, 'In this highly readable and informative book, Suzanne Maloney deftly weaves together political history, ideology, and sharp analysis of the often contradictory economic policies of the Iranian government in a turbulent period of Iran's history.' Shaul Bakhash, Clarence Robinson Professor of History, George Mason University, 'Suzanne Maloney's sobering and authoritative interrogation of Iran's political economy makes it clear that the country's history of distrust of the external world, resistance to pressure, internal divisions, and national pride, all of which antedate the Islamic regime, make it unlikely that Iran will become a normal country any time soon regardless of the ultimate fate of sanctions and its nuclear program.' Stephen D. Krasner, Stanford University, 'We know what the basic facts about Iran's economy are, but there is a gap in our knowledge about political context in which economic decisions are made and economic institutions operate. This book is a singular contribution to academic scholarship on Iran and political economy development in general. It is a work of deep scholarship, rich in historical detail and nuanced analysis. It is the authoritative work on how revolutionary politics has shaped Iran's economic culture, and how that development should be understood against the background of the body of theory that has emerged from experiences of similar countries.' Vali Nasr, author of Shia Revival and The Dispensable Nation, and Dean and Professor of International Affairs, The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, 'On the whole, Iran's Political Economy since the Revolution is a welcome addition to the literature on Iranian politics and economics. It is a rich and well-researched book, which attests to the author's considerable effort and devotion to her subject matter, and is likely to inform future research on the political economy of Iran for years to come.' Massoud Karshenas, The Middle East Journal

Suzanne Maloney is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution Center for Middle East Policy.