Toward Islamic-Iranian Public Administration Theory: A Comparative Historical Study

Abstract

The theory of the Islamic Republic state that was established in Iran following the conquest of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 emphasizes values that are distinct from Western political systems. Therefore, the mere implementation of modern Western public administration theories, which are in line with the liberal-democratic political system, has many challenges, and cannot guarantee the realization of the justice-oriented aspirations of the Islamic Republic. Developing public administration theory appropriate to the Islamic Republic is thus critical. The purpose of this article is to take a step towards achieving the development of this theory. First, the basic values of state and public administration are extracted from the academic literature. Second, the state and public administration in the Islamic Republic of Iran are historically compared using these values. Subsequently, recommendations are made for the development of an appropriate theory for public administration, in which values such as the right path (Sirat al-Mustaqim), justice, God’s pleasure, and public interests are critical to the planning and realization of other components of the Islamic-Iranian bureaucracy.