فصلنامه مجلس و راهبرد
پیاپی 96 (زمستان 1397)

The research aims to examine reasons for Iranian people’s tendency towards using foreign smuggled goods.
The survey - research is carried out through using a multi-stage cluster sampling method. 2700 households of different cities were selected as a statistical population of this research who were interviewed by their supervisors. The findings indicate the willingness of most interviewers (69%) to purchase the smuggled goods. While quality as well as price of both foreign and Iranian commodities is the same, the Iranian one is gradually preferred. However, it depends on (higher) level of People’s education and income so that foreign commodities can be prioritized. It is concluded that in addition to meet basic life needs, the smuggled goods are symbolic for Iranian consumers as well as consumption of these commodities have become a culture in Iran.

Today, water scarcity has been turned into one of the most troublesome problem facing our country that Iran faces it. Since a considerable amount of water resources used for the production of economic products, the analysis of how to use water in different economic sectors in bid to manage these resources important appropriately has a great importance. Recent researches suggest that consumption-based measures offer an insightful perspective on the debate on the relationship between the environment (specifically water) and economic sectors. In this connection, this study aims to analyze water consumption in Iranian economic sections with a consumption-based approach. To achieve an objective, the "water footprint" index as well as input-output model has been used. Results show that status of Water consumption in many sectors is considerably different from traditional approaches with a consumption-based approach. Based on water footprint, agricultural sector is still ranked the first in water consumption among all economic sectors while its share of total consumption has been decreased approximately from 91.4 percent to less than 53 percent based on traditional approach. But in food industries sector, share of total (water) consumption has been increased from 0.76 percent to 33.68 percent. According to the other measurements, in 2011, per capita water footprint of every Iranian citizen is about 1275 m3. Also, Iran has had approximately 8115 million m3 of net virtual water imports in this year.

Many questions have been arisen for making criminal law, as an effective and impressionable law which is resulted from conflicts and interactions like any other law however there is no much information how to emerge it.
This research which is conducted by using descriptive-analytical method seeks to answer the main question that which discourses can play major role in making criminal law as well as how can they do? The hypothesis is that "discourses play either an independent role in this process or providing a ground for (playing role of) other discourses."
Findings imply that making a law requires taking several steps which can be known as a legislative process. Studies show that the macro discourses of this process can be identified in two categories: main and contextual discourses. The main discourses refer to political and economic discourses. But cultural, social, and religious discourses are categorized as contextual discourse. Generally, with respect to the discourses’ roles and functions as well as their impacts on law-making process are directly and indirectly divided into two categories mentioned above.

This study aims to assess international scientific cooperation of Iranian top universities through using SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) strategic analysis approach. This research has been carried out based on descriptive survey. The statistical population has been consisted of 313 experts who were selected among 6478 faculty members from top 10 universities through a stratified sampling. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire whose content validity was confirmed and reviewed by experts as well as its reliability was measured by running on Cronbach's alpha test (816/0). Also, data analysis was conducted through Fuzzy BWM. The most important strengths include the enhancement of researchers’ interaction and attendance in international conferences also paving the way for international development in universities. Inadequacy of the annual grants of faculties’ members as well as lack of awareness of universities officials of International scientific cooperation are the main weaknesses. The tendency of Iranian youths towards changing ways of international interactions as well as international community's achievement to accept Iran in international academic consortiums are considered as the greatest opportunities. In spite of these successes, there are still serious threats such as economic recession in most countries; the lack of political grounds for international scientific cooperation and the spread of both Islamophobia and Iranphobia around the world.

Imam Khomeini, in opposition with the ideas expressing the slogans of modernism, transformation, reformism, absolutism avoidance, and falsifiability, introduced a new model of the political system that brought about the foundation and structure of Islam and changed the foundations of international structures. This led to the emergence of the fourth generation of theorists in the international field, which focused on the cultural factor, and rose up against the third generation of theorists who were constructivist and algebraic generation. This article, using discourse analysis theory and method, with Lacla and Mouffe's readings, investigates articulation of the political-cultural indications in the discourse of Imam Khomeini. The claim of the article is that the elaborate articulation of floating indications in different systems of meanings, combining traditional and modern views, and placing democratic Islamic thought as a central indication has led to the hegemony of the discourse of Imam Khomeini. The results of the analysis indicate that in the center of the discourse of Imam Khomeini, Islam was a transcendental and democratic religion that embraced all the spatial and angles of human life. It fertilizes key indications such as cultural change, leading culture, education, self-confidence, progress, freedom, equality, universal (general) participation, unity, united Islamic nation, law, western criticism, human relations, positive expectation, and Governance of the Jurist with meaning.

Economic welfare is one of fundamental issue in every countrys economy. In recent years implementation of targeted subsidies has various effects on the economy and household expenditure. In this paper is to examine the welfare effects of subsidies targeting on household expenditure. For this purpose, in this study, usingthe Stata software and Dayton & Paxon method (1997), the model of life cycle of households in the provinces of Tehran and Isfahan has been investigated. The results of household consumption expenditure separation in relation to the effects of time show that households consumption expendituretrend in Tehran is regular, However, consumption expenditures of households in Isfahan were regular before subsidies targeting, but after that they were irregular. Meanwhile, consumption expenditures of Isfahan households before targeting subsidies in some years (2004, 2007 and 2010) were lower than those in Tehran and in one year (2003).In addition, the average consumption expenditure of households in Isfahan province during the whole period, as well as after targeting the subsidies washigher than the households in Tehran province, and the average consumption expenditures of their households during the whole period, but not significant in Tehran province.

The present study was conducted to compare effects of social entrepreneurship orientation with charitable orientation on various aspects of poverty including income poverty, social exclusion, ability poverty, vulnerability and inter-generational poverty. In this research, service recipients of social entrepreneurship institutes were compared with clients of charity organizations. Questionnaire survey containing 91 questions is selected as a data collection method. The “Living Standards” Questionnaire was used to measure different dimensions of poverty. Cronbach's alpha of all questionnaire subscales was higher than 0.7. The questionnaires were given to 143 service recipients of seven institutes with a social entrepreneurship orientation and 156 service recipients of eight charity institutions in Mashhad. The research findings reveal that service recipients of social entrepreneurship institutions had a significantly better situation than charity clients in different dimensions of poverty (needs of life poverty, health poverty, residence poverty, absolute poverty, relative poverty, inter-generational poverty, vulnerability, social exclusion and ability poverty. Social entrepreneurship reduces inter-generational poverty as well as breaks the cycle of poverty. Results indicate that employment regardless of the economic aspect (the improvement of individual welfare or household income), socially extends individual circle of inclusion circle as well as reduces the risk of isolation and social exclusion.

Although the legislative process is main responsibility of the Legislature but this process requires the cooperation of other Powers especially, the Executive Branch. Parliamentary approvals should be based on the bills submitted by the Executive in accordance with good legislative standards. The article attempts to compare the number of bills and motions (also their changes) in some countries with Iranian legislative process (during nine rounds of legislatures). Results reveal that unlike many parliaments of the world, Iranian legislative process has moved to legislative motion-based process particularly, in the recent years (during the 7th -9th rounds of legislatures). Then, this process led to weaken good legislation. Findings of the present research indicate often three reasons for the establishment of motion-base legislative process in Iranian parliamentary system including : the weakness of the party system, the lack of self-limitation instruments in the Rules of Procedure of Iranian Parliament on the legislative initiative by MPs, and poor communication channels between the Executive Branch and military, civil-commercial institutions.

The present article is a descriptive survey as well as questionnaire method has been used as an instrument for data collection. The statistical population of the research is consisted of experts of Iran’s Plan and Budget Organization. At the outset, effective factors on deficiencies of the regional development policymaking system (in Iran) were identified as well as the relationship between these major factors were analyzed through using an interpretive-structural modeling (ISM). Finally, by using the MICMAC Analysis, the variables were clustered accordance with their effectiveness and impact on other variables. Results indicate that the lack of well-defined statutory position for regional development policy making has had the greatest impact on reforming the policymaking system mentioned above with the degree 9 of influential power. But the lack of a theoretical approach to regional development policymaking has the least effect with the degree 4 of influential power.

With an increase in the life expectancy index, the aging population in Iran and the world has grown and taken into consideration as an effective factor on socio- economic system of societies. The present research provides an overview the status of aging in the Iranian population as well as it tries to analyze this indicator from both geographic and spatial distribution perspectives. According to the studies, the most important indicators to assess the status of aging in a biological environment are such as old age indicator, old age ratio, aging ratio, youth ratio, the burden of support, parental support ratio (emotional support), potential support ratio (spiritual support). The research is carried out through secondary analysis data of Iranian Statistical Center as well as using the Matlab and Execl-Macros programming. The results showed that Iranian population has been going through youthfulness increasingly and entering elderly and aging periods. For example in our central regions such as Tehran, Isfahan and Arak, we face to more serious challenges than marginal areas including Sistan and Baluchestan Province. The upward trend in aging index of Iranian population indicates that the aging crisis in the Iranian population is being far away from expected. Thus, the ascending/increasing trend should be taken into consideration as the biggest challenge facing the development planning system as well as its impacts on all aspects of this process.

Internationally, the impact of innovation and creativity on competitiveness degree of firms has been increasingly enhanced even daily. Therefore, emphasizing on knowledge-based economy as well as the development of new high tech products has been taken priority over macro policy makings across the world. It is noteworthy to highlight that innovation can play a major role in economic growth of different countries through the development of new markets. This article aims to investigate the impact of economic openness on knowledge-based economy through using spatial econometric approach based on Romer’s indigenous growth model for Iranian economy and selected commercial partners (including 14 developed and developing countries) during 1995-2013. The results show that significant variables such as human development, research and development (R&D) and economic openness degree on knowledge-based economy have had considerable effects on the innovation. Thus, it is proposed that these countries, particularly, Iran get clear realization about their own economic structures in a bid to choose their high-tech commercial partners. It is further suggested that targeted modification of tariffs for imported capital goods can pave the way to import knowledge-intensive goods. Also, the nationalization of their imported high-technologies as well as product-oriented innovations should be taken into account.

Physicians do their job as the patients’ perfect agents as well as they can manipulate their patients’ demands for healthcare services. This line of reasoning drives from the Physician-Induced Demand (PID) which leads to create additional demands of these services for patients unnecessarily. Under the PID hypothesis, physicians (suppliers) influence patients’ demands to suit their own interests. The research relies on mixed methods research synthesis (MMRS) that integrates both qualitative and quantitative evidences as well as it is conducted through using thematic analysis method and decision making models. According to findings of the research, the most obvious factors affecting physicians’ behaviors in occurring induced demand for healthcare services include expectations of physicians to activate other medical sections, physicians' authority in patients' compliance, insufficient supervision over physician prescribing practices (irrational prescriptions), physicians' independency of insurance contracts and physician's tendency to provide inappropriate healthcare services for the patient in the public sector.
Results of the research reveals that the implementation of a well-functioning referral system to healthcare provision on Iranian (rural) family physician is determined as a major goal to impede physician-induced demand. In this regard, clinical guidelines for family physicians which are mandatory should be developed. Hence, it is suggested that a permanent legislation on “the establishment of a comprehensive system for health services” (electronic health record system) is approved.

The identification of the nature and effective elements on the United States’ Middle East diplomacy towards Iran is one of the strategic researches in the field of foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The article investigates the role of Congress in US foreign policy during eight-year Barack Obama Administration.
It was inspired by the neoconservative political thoughts in the United States as well as coincided with neo-cons efforts to influence the US’s Congress. Moreover, since 2009 the US Congress towards Iran gradually takes an aggressive and interventionist diplomacy. Meanwhile, the United States Congress introduced approximately 100 sanctions bills against Iran during the 111th-114th Congresses (from Jan. 2009-Jan. 2017).
Due to the increasing influence of the Congress senior law-makers over neo-conservatism, the foreign policy of the US Congress towards Islamic Republic of Iran has been gradually moved to pre-emptive, aggressive and interventionist diplomacy during the 8-year Barack Obama's presidency .
This research aims to examine mechanisms of the US parliamentary diplomacy as well as causes and consequences of changing the US Congress approach into the pre-emptive diplomacy by using an analytical-descriptive method for data collection based on library information and documentation.

In the last few decades, Parliaments have tried to interact with scientific and research centers, for making the best use of their scientific capacities, especially universities. One of the pioneering moves in recent years has been the launch of a series of parliamentary studies, including Parliamentary Law. These courses reduce the gap between the Parliament and the scientific and research centers with the goal of training the experts required by the parliament. The parliamentary studies are interdisciplinary topics aimed at empowering scholars and academics to meet the needs of the parliament.
These courses provide an appropriate ground for parliamentary efficiency and the strengthening of scientific and research centers and elites specializing in parliamentary affairs and seek to convey the real understanding of what is happening in parliamentary processes (legislation and supervision) to scholars. This article, while explaining the different dimensions of these courses and examining the experiences of the few countries that have been launching it, has evaluated the importance of launching Parliamentary Law in Iranian academy.