POLITICAL MODERNIZATION AND FORMATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE ISLAMIC REPOBLIC OF IRAN (BASED ON HUNTINGTON'S APPROACH)

This paper tries to explore and asses the political party activities in Iran after the Islamic revolution. It believes that that formation of political parties was a result of political modernization in Iran after the revolution. The authors further examine this modernization based on Huntington's theory about modernization including stages of faction creation (factionalism), polarization, extension and Institutionalization. The development of parties in Iran is at extension stage and has not already entered the Institutionalization level. The process of party creation which mostly got no bigger than their primary founders is a proof.