Jordan and the Arab Uprisings: Regime Survival and Politics Beyond the State (Columbia Studies in Middle East Politics)

In 2011, as the Arab uprisings spread across the Middle East, Jordan remained more stable than any of its neighbors. Despite strife at its borders and an influx of refugees connected to the Syrian civil war and the rise of ISIS, as well as its own version of the Arab Spring with protests and popular mobilization demanding change, Jordan managed to avoid political upheaval. How did the regime survive in the face of the pressures unleashed by the Arab uprisings? What does its resilience tell us about the prospects for reform or revolutionary change? In __Jordan and the Arab Uprisings__, Curtis R. Ryan explains how Jordan weathered the turmoil of the Arab Spring. Crossing divides between state and society, government and opposition, Ryan analyzes key features of Jordanian politics, including Islamist and leftist opposition parties, youth movements, and other forms of activism, as well as struggles over elections, reform, and identity. He details regime survival strategies, laying out how the monarchy has held out the possibility of reform while also seeking to coopt and contain its opponents. Ryan demonstrates how domestic politics were affected by both regional unrest and international support for the regime, and how regime survival and security concerns trumped hopes for greater change. While the Arab Spring may be over, Ryan shows that political activism in Jordan is not, and that struggles for reform and change will continue. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and interviews with a vast range of people, from grassroots activists to King Abdullah II, __Jordan and the Arab Uprisings__ is a definitive analysis of Jordanian politics before, during, and beyond the Arab uprisings. Drawing Upon Years Of Fieldwork And Unique Access To Major Political Figures In Jordan, Curtis Ryan Unravels The Unusual Case Of Jordan During The Arab Spring, Where The Country Managed To Avoid Political Upheaval Amidst Both Regional And Internal Unrest. Continuity And Change Amidst The Arab Uprisings -- The Arab Spring In Jordan -- Political Parties And The Traditional Opposition -- The Hirak And Changes In Political Activism -- Identity Politics, Real And Imagined -- Struggles Over Elections And Electoral Systems -- Rebooting Reform -- War, Refugees, And Regional Insecurity -- Jordanian Politics Beyond The Arab Uprisings. Curtis R. Ryan. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 223-269) And Index. Contents Preface and Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations I. Continuity and Change Amid the Arab Uprisings II. The Arab Spring Protests in Jordan III. Political Parties and the “Traditional” Opposition IV. The Hirak and Changes in Political Activism V. Identity Politics, Real and Imagined VI. Struggles Over Elections and Electoral Systems VII. Rebooting Reform VIII. War, Refugees, and Regional Insecurity IX. Jordanian Politics Beyond the Arab Uprisings Notes Bibliography Index Curtis R. Ryan explains how Jordan weathered the turmoil of the Arab uprisings. Crossing divides between state and society, government and opposition, and struggles over elections, reform, and identity. Jordan and the Arab Uprisings is a definitive analysis of Jordanian politics before, during, and beyond the Arab Spring.