61% of Jordanians believe that corruption exists within state institutions and government bodies

62% of Jordanians are dissatisfied with economic growth.

The results of a poll conducted by the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan revealed that 61 percent of respondents believed that corruption exists in state institutions and government bodies, while 67 percent believed that the government is undertaking measures to eliminate corruption and bribery in Jordan to varying degrees.

The poll was conducted at the end of May 2014, and dealt with the political, economic and social transformations occurring in the Arab world. The findings of the report were announced in a press conference on May 4, 2015, however the official report is yet to published.

According to the report, 87 percent of responders said that the economic situation of “poverty, unemployment, and rising prices,” was the most important challenge facing Jordan at the stage in which the poll was conducted. 36 percent of the respondents said that the second most important challenge was linked with political corruption and 34 percent of respondents reported that corruption of employees in the public sector was the second most important challenge.

According to the report, 57 percent of Jordanians believed that their living conditions were similar to those of other citizens, while 20 percent reported their living conditions to be worse than those of others.

53 percent of respondents expressed their satisfaction with the way democracy was developing in Jordan, while 38 percent said they were satisfied with the way the national economy was developing. 58 percent of respondents also believed that it is inappropriate to have a political system in the Kingdom in which only Islamist parties compete.

90 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the democratic system is better than others, even if it has some problems. 20 percent of respondents said that the most important attribute of democracy is the elimination of financial and administrative corruption. 16 percent said that the most important attribute of democracy is the changing of governments through elections, and the same percentage responded that providing basic elements (food, housing, clothing, etc.) for each individual is the most important attribute of democracy.

According to the poll, 60 percent of respondents believed that it is inappropriate for a political system to have a government with strong, authoritative power to make decisions without regard to the results of elections or the opposition.

76 percent of respondents said that the security situation for their families at the moment was very good or good, and 70 percent of the respondents expected the security situation for their families to be very good or good over the next five years.

The results showed that 95 percent of respondents felt safe always or most of the time in their places of residence during the daytime, while 88 percent said that they felt safe in their places of residence during the night. 80 percent of respondents said that their neighbors assist them always or most of the time if they need it.

The report stated that 81 percent of respondents believed that migrant workers pose a threat to Jordan (both high risk and average), while 18 percent reported that they pose little or no threat at all.

47 percent of respondents believed that promoting economic development is the most positive policy that the European Union is able to implement in Jordan, while 12 percent of respondents believed that a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict is the most positive policy contribution that the EU could make in Jordan.

65 percent of respondents opposed regarding democracy as a system contrary to the teachings of Islam. 57 percent of respondents opposed the idea that non-Muslims in a Muslim country should have less political rights than Muslims.

37 percent of respondents described the social and political events and the recent changes that have occurred in some Arab countries as “Arab destruction,” while 32 percent described them as “a conspiracy against the Arabs.” 7 percent described the events as a “revolution.”

57 percent of respondents believed that what happened in the Arab countries was a conspiracy from abroad, while 37 percent believed them to be a revolution of the people against the regime. 69 percent of respondents believed that people came out in these Arab countries to demonstrate and protest because of economic problems or grievances while 14 percent reported that the main reason for the influx of protests was the lack of basic services.

*The Arabic of this article appeared on May 07, 2015

Translated by Julia Norris