Main findings
Current Situation
- Only a third of Jordanians believe that things in Jordan are heading in the right direction, whereas 62% think that things are heading in the wrong direction.
- The most challenging conundrums facing Jordanians today are the unemployment, poor economic circumstances, and increased poverty rates, followed by the market price inflation, high living costs, and the worsening of health circumstances as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
- Regional instability and external pressures on Jordan constitute the most important political problems facing Jordan.
- Jordanians believe the political challenges facing the nation to be weak government performance, obscurity in decision-making, and poor parliament performance in carrying out their duties.
The Jordanian Constitution and Constitutional Amendments
- Only one-fifth of Jordanians stated being familiar with the Jordanian constitution or some of its articles, whereas 80% had never seen it.
- Only one-fifth of Jordanians (22%) were aware of the constitutional amendments recommended by the Royal Committee to Modernize the Political System and approved by the House of Representatives, while 78% were not aware of such amendments.
- Half of those who were aware of constitutional amendments (51% of the 22%) have little knowledge of the constitutional articles that were subject to change, 31% have moderate knowledge and 15% have no knowledge at all but merely heard it.
- One third of those who were aware of constitutional amendments (36% of the 22%) are satisfied with them, (33%) believe that they will help achieve tangible progress in the Jordan’s political life, while (67%) believe that they will not have any positive impact on the progress of political life in Jordan.
- Adding the female noun for ‘Jordanian citizen’ to the second chapter of the Jordanian constitution is the most prominent amendment that Jordanians have heard/knew about (37%), followed by lowering the candidacy age for parliament membership to 25 years old (14%), and amendments related to women empowerment (6%).
- The most prominent amendments to the constitution according to Jordanians are related to youth empowerment (14% only), followed by women empowerment (13%), House of Representatives (6%), Council of Ministers (4%), and protection of elderly and persons with disabilities (4%).
- One quarter of Jordanians (25%) believe that the main reason for adding the female noun of ‘Jordanian citizen’ to the second chapter of the constitution is to achieve gender equality, (12%) believe it is to attain a sense of gender equality in the Jordanian constitution, and (12%) think there is no clear reason for this amendment.
- The majority of Jordanians support the constitutional amendments that have been approved by the House of Representatives. Amendments related to protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, and women and youth empowerment received the highest support rates. Whereas lowering the candidacy age for parliament membership to 25 years old (instead of 30), allowing the Prime Minister and ministers (or their vices) to address the House of Representatives and the Senate, and assigning the Independent Election Commission to consider requests for the establishment of political parties and follow up on their affairs in accordance with the provisions of the law received the lowest support rates.
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