Civil Society and Democratization in Jordan (original) (raw)

Liberalization and Deliberalization in Jordan

2011

Unlike many of its immediate neighbors, the Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan has since 1989 allowed for competitive elections, some level of pluralism, and the emergence of civil society. But for Jordanians who support the kingdom’s liberalization process, the string of setbacks and disappointments in the liberalization process since the mid-1990’s has become intolerable, with the postponement of national parliamentary elections providing just the latest example. This essay provides an analysis of Jordan’s spluttering liberalization process, especially in the context of rising regional tensions.

Jordan's New "Political Development" Strategy

Middle East Report, 2005

We have a problem here. There is no real [opposirion] party except for the Muslim Brotherhood." 1 So an official of Jord an's new M inistry of Political Development and Parliamentary Affairs summed up the raison d'etre of h is place of employment.

Hassan BARARI, “Reform and the Dynamics of In/stability in Jordan during the Arab Uprisings”

The argument that Jordan is a remarkably stable country in a volatile region has become axiomatic. Some contend that the Hashemite monarchy is indispensable for the country's stability. Nonetheless, an in-depth analysis of Jordan's political status quo reveals the deep-seated cleavages that-if left unattended-could jeopardize the stability of the country in years to come. The advent of a political awakening among Jordan's youth-who display unprecedented self-entitlement-and the eruption of the Arab uprisings have left the monarch with two options: either effect genuine reform to restore the public's trust in the regime or risk facing future instability. This paper identifies the shortcomings and imperfections of the current autocratic status quo and assesses the prospects of instability. My intent in this paper is to explain and contextualize the intricate dynamics of the regime's insistence on reproducing the non-democratic status quo during the Arab Spring and question whether this might lead to instability in the long term in a changing society.

Frozen political liberalization in Jordan: The consequences for democracy

Democratization, 1998

Prompted by serious economic difficulties, in 1989 the Jordanian government launched a series of political liberalization measures aimed at rejuvenating the country's parliament and party politics, and restoring freedom to the media. Despite much initial enthusiasm, the ...

Deliberalization in Jordan

Journal of Democracy, 2003

In 1989, with the first Palestinian intifada (uprising) raging just across the Jordan River in the West Bank, domestic discontent spilling into his own streets, and his country's finances in tatters, Jordan's King Hussein (r. 1953-99) began taking a series of extraordinary steps toward political opening. He ended repression, called new elections to replace the National Assembly that he had dissolved in 1988, and forged a national pact that put Jordan at the forefront of liberalization in the Arab world. As the late king's son and designated successor Abdallah II faces a similar situation more than a decade later, however, the regime is nearing the completion of a full circle back to martial law.

Political Opposition and Reform Coalitions in Jordan

British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 2011

Jordanian politics has seen decades of pro-reform and pro-democracy political activism, but with little effective change on the Jordanian political system itself. This analysis explains how and why the regime has resisted more than cosmetic reform and democratic change. It also examines in detail old and new avenues of opposition reformist activism in the kingdom, from leftist political parties and the Islamist movement to new forms of pro-democracy activism in the form of grassroots coaltions, youth movements and social media activism. As both government and opposition in Jordan are affected by the 2011 Arab uprisings, this analysis examines the past and present possibilities for democratic political opposition and for an effective and unifed coalition for reform in Jordan.

Political reforms in Jordan following the events of the Arab Spring

RUDN Journal of Public Administration, 2019

Following the events of the Arab Spring and the popular protests that broke out in some countries in the Arab world in 2011, including Jordan, extended political reforms were carried out in Jordan, including major constitutional amendments and developments in political life, political parties and civil society institutions. The study aims to identify the reality of the political reform process in Jordan that took place after the events of the Arab Spring. The importance of the study stems from the depth of the effects of the variables of this period on Jordan and its reform programs and its transformations towards democracy. The study aims to achieve the following objectives: To identify the nature of the factors and reasons that contributed to the outbreak of the current Arab revolutions, and identifying the reality of the process of political reform in Jordan before the events of the Arab Spring, and to study and analyze the political reforms in Jordan after the events of the Arab ...

Jordan: The Ruse of Reform

Journal of Democracy, 2013

Why has Jordan’s authoritarianism remained so stubborn? What makes the country’s Hashemite monarchy exceptional is that virtually no constituency apart from domestic oppositionists and international human-rights organizations puts consistent pressure on the kingdom to democratize. Western policy makers and Jordanian officials have successfully cultivated the kingdom’s image as a “moderate” Arab state, an oasis of stability and key ally in the world’s most strategic and turbulent region. Foreign aid from the United States and its allies remains the kingdom’s economic lifeline, and thus the best means by which to encourage the regime to actually take popular demands into account in its next reform gambit. With stability on the line, the next five years will prove to be the crucible for the Jordanian crown.