Application of Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) in Analyzing the Dysfunction of Political Parties in Iran (1966-2021)

The primary objective of this research is to address the central question of which factors, and with what coordinates, have been influential in the decline in quality and dysfunction of political parties in Iran over the past century (from the inception to the present). In this regard, by employing the Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) method, the research findings demonstrate that the institutionalization of factionalism and, consequently, the lack of efficiency and effectiveness in party activities in Iran cannot be attributed to a single tangible factor. Instead, it should be understood as rooted in factors that extend deeply into Iranian society's mental, conceptual, systematic, and objective layers from ancient times to the present. Along this path, stabilizing the pattern of party competition, transforming the party pattern and organization, strengthening the culture of participation and collectivism, and presenting alternative narratives are among the solutions that can play a role under the attention of the ruling body and party activists, in improving and enhancing the quality of party activities in the country.