STABLE JORDAN: HOW A MONARCHY SURVIVED DISORDER (original) (raw)

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.

Jordan: Stability and Instability in the Hashemite Kingdom

Orient, 2019

June 2019 marked the twentieth anniversary of King’s Abdullah II’s accession to the Hashemite throne. In that twenty-year span, the kingdom has maintained at least some level of stability and has managed to survive myriad challenges from within and from without. Since the royal succession in 1999, Jordan has been stable in the sense that it has seen limited upheaval and, unlike some states in the region, has not been beset by endemic internal violence or inter-state war. Yet in that same time period the kingdom has seen no shortage of domestic and regional challenges, and in that sense neither government nor opposition are complacent about Jordan’s stability or its future.

Does Jordan Seem Stable? A Century Since An Establishment

Canadian Social Science, 2021

This paper attempts to address the question of Jordan's stability. The country, considered an ally to the United States, is suffering huge challenges economically, politically, and socially. The economy of Jordan is facing huge drawbacks and is unable to achieve positive change in the lives of the Jordanians. The underlying issue is that the economy is affected by other aspects; this leads to political challenges in the country. In addition, Jordanians have lost trust in their governments due to numerous unfavorable experiences that have taken place over the years. Furthermore, situations in the region are negatively affecting Jordan. This paper argues that the stability in Jordan is fragile, and the only way for the country to be strong and stable is through political reforms.

Democracy or Stability? Everlasting Dilemma of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Hemispheres. Studies on Cultures and Societies, 2017

So far Jordan has witnessed only minor reforms, and the word "democracy" has been used as a façade for the authoritarian regime. The ruling elites, to a great extent, explain such approach by their willingness to provide security and stability. The question that should be raised, however, is why stability has to necessarily oppose the notion of democracy? This paper aims to explore this dilemma by analyzing key features of the monarchy, indicating how stability is embedded in it. The paper concludes that the stability rhetoric pursued by the regime and transposed onto the society hinders further democratic development in Jordan.

Protests, Regime Stability, and State Formation in Jordan

Beyond the Arab Spring: The Evolving Ruling Bargain in the Middle East, 2014

In the period since the eruption of mass mobilizations across the Arab world in 2011, scholars, analysts, and activists have invested significant resources into narrating and analyzing the processes and dynamics that made up the Arab uprisings. A concomitant exercise has involved developing a comparative framework for conceptualizing these uprisings in order to account for the varied trajectories of protest movements and regime strategies in the different Arab states. In the case of Jordan the analysis has—for the most part—been less than inspiring, either repeating clichéd notions about Jordanian politics or hedging bets by asserting that Jordan is “forever on the brink” of revolt. The discussion that follows seeks to improve on these approaches by offering an alternative understanding of the persistence of the political status quo in Jordan. In short, what some analysts have referred to over the past twenty years as the “reform game” is ongoing in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, with little indication (thus far) of a rebellion against the conventional rules of Jordanian politics. More specifically, significant socio-political formations that hold the capacity for anti-regime collective action continue to be invested in the status quo, either as active supporters of the regime, or as an opposition that nevertheless does not question the legitimacy of the underlying political framework—even if only for strategic reasons. While these dynamics are by no means fixed or permanent, the opportunities for changing them, without significant shifts in institutional–strategic realities, remain limited. Published in Mehran Kamrava, ed., Beyond the Arab Spring: The Evolving Ruling Bargain in the Middle East (Oxford University Press).