Governmentality and Crises of Representation, Knowledge, and Power in the I slamic Republic of I ran

Since the contested presidential (re)election of M ahmoud A hmadinejad in 2009, crises of representation, power, and knowledge have destabilized the I slamic R epublic of I ran's governmentality notwithstanding a strong W eberian state. When many Iranians demanded a recount, the state rejected allegations of vote‐rigging, purged R eformists from the state, cracked down on their supporters, elicited forced confessions, and staged show trials. This state‐sponsored vigilantism that diminished the R epublic's claim of representing the people caused a R eformist retreat from the streets as well as withdrawal from the parliamentary elections of M arch 2012. Such withdrawal, which threatened the vibrancy of the elections, added to the crises of representation. Moreover, it caused the P rincipalists to factionalize and radicalize, producing a crisis of power. In addition, divisions within the government and between the government and the populace resulted in the failure of the state to discern friends from foes, causing a crisis of knowledge. The subsequent presidential elections of H assan R ouhani four years later in 2013, both in terms of the ways in which it unfolded as well as the outcome, was a confirmation and a way out of these challenges.