The Impact of Iranian Political Culture on Democratic Reforms Western powers and Iran have had difficult relations for a long time, both harboring deeply rooted resentment towards the other that dates back a long time longer than the reign of the current rulers on both sides. The bad blood between a theocratic Iran and a democratic West has been a source of great turmoil for Iranian regimes that strive to industrialize while simultaneously rejecting the Western democratic ideals that, throughout history, accompany long-term economic growth. Iran's political culture is the result of many years of distrust of American and European powers and is therefore very anti-Western. Political and religious leaders have used this sentiment for decades as a means to maintain power and reject democratic reforms. It is Iran's political culture and the culture of fierce Iranian and Islamic nationalism that has slowed much of the democratic development in the country. Iranian Political System The Iranian political landscape is complex to say the least, and despite popular American belief, it is unfair to classify Iran and the government as a totalitarian regime (Kesselman, Krieger, and Joseph 615). A traditional definition of a totalitarian regime is a government in which leaders, generally a small group of elites, exercise control over public and private life (Kesselman, Krieger, and Joseph ch. 1). While it is true that Iran has an assembly of clerics who play a role in determining the management of the country, control over public and private life has loosened in recent years. Furthermore, the people are responsible for electing the president and the legislative branch, the Islamic Majles. Iran also maintains a constitution that is a mix of democracy and...... paper....... in 2009 in which Ahmadinejad won with an overwhelming majority, over 90%, despite a vigorous challenge from part of the opposition. , are further proof of how anti-Western political culture hinders the development of democracy. One can look back even further, to the Islamic Revolution, to see how the Shah's accusations of "spreading Western culture" alone led to the complete overthrow of the government. Past and present political developments in Iran demonstrate very clearly how the anger over the 1953 coup and the past involvement of foreign powers in Iranian affairs is still very much present in the minds of Iranian voters, clergy and politicians. From the Islamic Revolution to the recent elections, the threat of Western encroachment into Iranian affairs has continued to play an important role in how the country votes and, consequently, how democratic institutions have developed or regressed..