Political plasticity and possibilities for political change

Abstract

This brief paper explores possibilities for change in political behavior through what I term “political plasticity.” Revolutions provide a suitable context in which to critically examine political plasticity, particularly when the revolutionaries who come to power attempt to bring about radical political changes. The examples of the Bolsheviks who attempted to implement collectivization after the 1917 revolution in Russia, and the Shi’a Muslim fundamentalists, who attempted to create a healthy dictatorial society under velayat-e-faghih after the 1979 revolution in Iran, are used to illustrate limitations to political plasticity, shedding light on possibilities for changes in political behavior.