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What Is “Regime Change From Within?” Unpacking the Concept in the Context of I ran
Author(s) -
Sheehan Ivan Sascha
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
digest of middle east studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.225
H-Index - 10
eISSN - 1949-3606
pISSN - 1060-4367
DOI - 10.1111/dome.12055
Subject(s) - phrase , unpacking , opposition (politics) , clarity , regime change , context (archaeology) , political science , islam , term (time) , political economy , sociology , positive economics , epistemology , politics , law and economics , linguistics , law , history , economics , philosophy , biochemistry , chemistry , physics , archaeology , quantum mechanics , democracy
The use of the phrase “regime change from within” has surged in recent years in media, policy, and opposition discourse, especially in relation to the Islamic Republic of Iran. But what does “regime change from within” actually mean? Is it just a script to encourage the aspirations of a people, or can it be defined with more specificity? This article argues that to be of value as a concept and the basis for articulate policy, “regime change from within” needs to be better defined. To bring greater clarity to the term, the article tries to unpack the concept by disaggregating it into three analytically separable problem components: the “regime,” “change,” and “from within.” Drawing on the case of Iran, I argue that although most of the current debate around the concept is on the “from within” component, the definitional choices that need more discussion are the “regime” and “change” aspects of the phrase.