Jordan
Islam and Democracy in the Middle East
Book
"The more authentic Muslim modernists are those who have already taken a step across the historical threshold toward an enlightened skepticism of the whole Islamic tradition. There are many Muslim intellectuals who have done this, some of them contributors to the collection Islam and Democracy in the Middle East."—Max Rodenbeck, New York Review of Books
Jordan and Morocco: The Palace Gambit
ArticleTwo of the Arab world’s more liberal regimes, the kingdoms of Jordan and Morocco, are sometimes said to be evolving toward democracy. Is this true, and what are the longer-term prospects for these two monarchies?
Jordan: The Ruse of Reform
ArticleThe Hashemite monarchy still fails to understand the challenges that threaten Jordan’s political order. The old playbook of limited, manipulated reform is no longer enough, but key players fail to realize it.
Jordan Votes: Election or Selection?
ArticleIn late 2010, not long before seismic political change was to erupt across the Middle East, Jordan held parliamentary elections. Officials were eager to present these as a fresh start, but a closer look tells a different tale.
Jordan: Ten More Years of Autocracy
ArticleJordan gets much good press for having one of the more open and liberal regimes in the Arab world, but that reputation masks a considerably grimmer reality.
Deliberalization in Jordan
ArticleAfter a decade of partial liberalization begun by the late King Hussein, freedoms are now being rolled back by an anxious regime.
