A Study of Relationship between the Unitary State System and National Unity: Case Study of Iran

The unitary state system refers to a kind of political power which is united and undivided in one geographical arena. There seems to be a relationship between the unitary state system and national unity. The favorable characteristic of the unitary state system regarding the national unity and solidarity is reinforced when the country is nearly uniform from the cultural and human point of view. This research is intended to study the relationship between the unitary state system and national unity in Iran. Descriptive-analytic method has been used in this research, and data has been gathered through designing questionnaires. The research population is consisted of 70 researchers and experts in the fields of political geography, political science, political sociology as well as government officials. The findings of this study indicate that notwithstanding the advantages of the unitary state system, excessive centralization in the unitary state system weakens the national unity.