Ms. Nina Maziar

University of Arkansas

Bio

Nina Maziar is a PhD student in Public Policy at the University of Arkansas, holding two master’s degrees in Contemporary Iranian History and Political Science. Her research explores sovereignty, authoritarian governance, and the gap between policymaking and implementation in the Islamic Republic regime of Iran. Her current research examines how the Islamic Republic mobilizes ideological loyalty and discretionary autonomy to compensate for declining governing capacity.

Street-Level Bureaucracy and Islamic Republic Autonomy in Iran: The Politics of Atash be Ekhtiar (Fire at will); case study of morality police (Gasht-e Ershad)

Abstract

Declining legitimacy and governing capacity, the Islamic Republic regime of Iran is increasingly relying on loyalists exercising discretionary autonomy. On June 7, 2017, the Supreme Leader introduced Atash be Ekhtiar (“fire at will”), borrowing from military terminology. This article examines how the regime mobilizes individual devotion to empower street-level bureaucrats, compensating for weakened state capacity through low-cost, decentralized policy implementation.