Compared with other countries in the region, Jordan has long been seen as an
island of stability. Analysts have long predicted that unrest must be coming
due to myriad challenges over the last three decades. Yet, such events have
failed to come to pass. The regime continues on relatively unchanged even as
regional events such as the Arab Uprisings of 2011 rocked those elsewhere in
the region.
Under the surface, however, changes in public opinion suggest potential bumps
in the road ahead. Views of the government and key political actors have plummeted over the past decade. For example, trust in the government is now 41
points lower than at the time of the Arab Uprisings. Confidence in other political institutions, such as parliament, have also declined. Today, the only major
institutions with high levels of trust is the armed forces.
