Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses Spring 6-3-2014 The Values, Beliefs, and Attitudes of Elites in Jordan towards Political, Social, and Economic Development Laila Huneidi Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Part of the Asian Studies Commons, and the Public Affairs Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Huneidi, Laila, "The Values, Beliefs, and Attitudes of Elites in Jordan towards Political, Social, and Economic Development" (2014). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 2017. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.2016 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. The Values, Beliefs, and Attitudes of Elites in Jordan towards Political, Social, and Economic Development by Laila Huneidi A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Affairs and Policy Dissertation Committee: Masami Nishishiba, Chair Bruce Gilley Birol Yesilada Grant Farr Portland State University 2014 i Abstract This mixed-method study is focused on the values, beliefs, and attitudes of Jordanian elites towards liberalization, democratization and development. The study aims to describe elites’ political culture and centers of influence, as well as Jordan’s viability of achieving higher developmental levels. Survey results are presented. The study argues that the Jordanian regime remains congruent with elites’ political culture and other patterns of authority within the elite strata. However, until this “cautious liberal” political culture of Jordanian elites changes, a transitional movement cannot arise that would lead Jordan towards greater liberalism, constitutionalism and development. The study concludes with implications for transitional movements in other developing countries, particularly in the Arab region. ii Dedications To my three loving children: Naser, Hana, and Huda; My family and friends for their support throughout the years And for all those who value the fight for their rights May we always stay resilient in what we believe. iii Acknowledgments A special recognition to my daughter and editor Hana Abushaaban; and to Masami Nishishiba and Bruce Gilley for their belief in my potential. iv Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................ i Dedications ..........................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... iii List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures .................................................................................................................... viii Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 A Study Problem Overview ............................................................................................. 1 The Purpose, Research Question and Contributions of the Study ................................. 2 A Brief Summary of Analytic Methods ............................................................................ 5 Dissertation Overview ..................................................................................................... 6 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................. 9 An Overview of Jordan: Geographical Location ............................................................ 10 Population, Religions, and Ideological Makeup: Jordanian Elite Socialization ............. 10 A Historical Overview .................................................................................................... 13 Elite Theory: The Center of Influence among Jordanian Elites ..................................... 16 Elites’ Political Culture: Values, Beliefs, & Attitudes ..................................................... 28 Political System: Democracy, Governance, and Development in Jordan ..................... 32 Political Development: Political Liberalization and Democratization ........................... 36 Social Development and Civic Engagement .................................................................. 43 Tribalism vs. Jordanian Nationalism .............................................................................. 47 Economic Liberalization and the State of Rentierism ................................................... 50 Congruence Theory ....................................................................................................... 55 Cautious Liberalism ....................................................................................................... 58 Chapter 3: Methods .......................................................................................................... 60 Study Population ........................................................................................................... 62 Sample Selection ........................................................................................................... 63 Survey Administration and Interview Procedures ........................................................ 66 v Survey Questionnaire .................................................................................................... 77 Data Analysis Procedure ............................................................................................... 91 Chapter 4: Results ............................................................................................................. 96 Statistical and Thematic Analysis .................................................................................. 96 Political Development ....................................................................................................... 97 Elites’ Political Culture towards Jordan’s Political System ............................................ 97 Elites’ Political Culture towards Freedoms & Civil Rights ........................................... 103 Elites’ Political Culture towards Public Sector Administrative Reform ....................... 108 Elites’ Political Culture towards Political Participation: Political Parties, Elections, and Lobbying ...................................................................................................................... 116 Social Development ....................................................................................................... 122 Elites’ Political Culture towards Tribalism ................................................................... 122 Elites’ Political Culture towards Women Empowerment ........................................... 124 Elites’ Political Culture towards Participation in Voluntary Organizations ................. 125 Economic Development .................................................................................................. 130 Elites’ Political Culture towards Economic Liberalization and Prosperity .................. 130 Elites’ Political Culture towards Economic Development vs. Political Development . 131 Discussion........................................................................................................................ 134 Chapter 5: Main Conclusions .......................................................................................... 147 1) Description of elites’ political culture ..................................................................... 147 2) Significant Differences ............................................................................................ 152 3) Jordanian Elites Political Culture Concerning the Centers of Power in Jordan ...... 153 4) The Congruence between the Regime and Elites’ Political Culture ....................... 154 Limitations ................................................................................................................... 156 Implications ................................................................................................................. 159 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 164 References ...................................................................................................................... 166 Appendix A: Geographical Location & Map of Jordan .................................................... 174 Appendix B: Demographics: Social and economic statistic of a human development .. 175 vi Appendix C: Human Subjects, Informed Consent, & Survey Questionnaire .................. 183 Appendix D: Descriptive Statistics Tables and Figures ................................................... 196 vii List of Tables Table 3.1 Closed-ended Value Questions 80 Table 3.2 Closed-ended Belief Questions 82 Table 3.3 Closed-ended Attitude Questions 85 Table 3.4 Open-ended Value Questions 86 Table 3.5 Open-ended Belief Questions 88 Table 3.6 Open-ended Attitude Questions 90 Table 3.7 Example from