GEOPOLITICS QUARTERLY
Year:2009 | Volume:4 | Issue:3 (13)|Papers Count:9

The neighborhood effect is one of the subjects of electoral geography, studying the effects of geographical conditions on voting behaviors and believes. According to this approach the voting behavior of a residents of an area is similar, regardless of their social and economic conditions or affiliation to a political party. Generally, they vote to particular individuals and processes that they feel have similar identity with them. Iran’s geographical situation has created a sense of insecurity. Results of this descriptive –analytical research show that geographical conditions and elements have influenced voting behavior in various Iranian regions. As a result election in Iran is influenced by localism and ethnicism. This cultural background has been one of the fundamental obstacles to the success of democratic processes. An analysis of the data related to the first stage of the ninth presidential elections in Iran show that neighborhood had a strong effect on the outcome of elections.

Despite the fact that Iran’s economic potentials on the one hand and economic weakness and landlockedness of the CIS countries on the other are the least reasons for cordial economic-commercial cooperation between the two sides, currently the geopolitical and political realities dominating Iran-CIS states relations do not conform with imaginative ideas of Iranian officials and geopolitical codes defined in Iran’s foreign policy. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Iran not only during the geopolitical transition of the region and the world but also in its aftermath could never define a specific political-economic status for itself in the region. Despite the geopolitical and geoeconmic interdependence between Iran and the CIS countries, given the current trends in Iran foreign policy and due to US measures to geopolitically isolate Iran, it is unlikely that Iran would be able to attain a geopolitical and geoeconomic balance to restore its national interests. Attempts have been made in the present paper to shed light on the regional geopolitical realities which influence Iran’s geopolitical and geoeconomic position vis-à-vis the CIS countries.

The main thrust of the present paper is to study the administrative system of Iran in relation to indicators of sustainable development. The main objective of the present research is to find out whether national administrative division is effective in achieving sustainable development (with emphasis on justice). To data for the research have been garnered from library sources primary documents. The concepts related to national administrative division and sustainable development as well as the historical development administrative system in Iran, from ancient time to date, have been explained. The findings show that there is no significant relationship between the characteristics of Iranian administrative division and indexes of sustainable development rather in some cases there are negative correlations between them.

If the people who enjoy a single culture live in a specific geographical area, formal culture is formed. Iran, due to its vast geography and tumultuous history, has different cultural areas. Since different cultures have different demands, adjustment of the borders of cultural areas with functional spaces will be helpful. The present research is an attempt to study the factors for incompatibility of cultural areas and functional spaces. Attempts have been made to study the consequences of this incompatibility. The objective of the research is to find out the borders and dispersion of formal cultural areas.The results indicate that incompatibility of formal cultural areas and functional spaces in Iran have been formed under the influence of administrative, defense-security issues as well as local rivalries and methods of rendering services. This has led to a dual result: on the one hand it has led to the containment of divergence, consolidation of national solidarity and preservation of territorial integrity; on the other hand it has led to imbalance regional development, polarization of wealth and power and dissatisfaction with the ruling system.

The present paper is an attempt to study the concept of national interests in relation to Islamic exigencies in foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Given the fact that the concept of national interests is value-laden, it is not very useful to study it through a rational approach (neo-realism and neo-liberalism) in international relations. Hence attempts have been made to study Iran’s national interests during Khatami’s administration through structural approach. The main hypothesis of this paper is that redefinition of Iranian identity, Islamism, Islamic Revolution and religious democracy in Khatami’s thought led to the redefinition of national interests. The findings of the paper indicate that democratization of the Iranian society, providing room for people’s participation in domestic affairs and détente in foreign relations are helpful in protection of national interests of Iran.

It is important to study the characteristics of the great powers and the way these features affect the features of international relations and how they influence their role in the world geopolitical areas in order to secure their own interests.One of these characteristics which should be studied exclusively about the United States is “hegemony”. One of the parameters of hegemony is military power. Attempts have been made in the present paper to discuss through geopolitical approach the concepts of hegemony, hegemonic power, mechanism for hegemony as well as US hegemony, its challenges and opportunities as well as the role of military power in consolidation of US hegemony.

One of the factors that threatens peace and stability in the Middle East region is the territorial and border differences. Borders of regional countries were set and designed in accordance with the interests of the superpowers and are absolutely incompatible with the cultural, geographical and national characteristics of the regional states.According to Draison and Blikke, these borders which have not yet reached the process of maturity, can always be considered as a mechanism leading to disputes and clashes between the countries of the region. For instance, in this regard, we can refer to the border problems between Iraq and Kuwait which have frequently endangered regional peace and stability. In the present paper attempts have been made to study the role of the British government in delimitating the borders between Kuwait and Iraq according to the official documentations released by the British Foreign Ministry. The findings of ht present paper indicate that the delimitated borders are so much unreal and artificial that it territorial and border differences between Iraq and Kuwait will continue for a long time.