Corruption in Jordan: It’s the Mechanisms, Not Manifestations, that Matter

In Jordan, a network of laws is in place that acts to entrench corruption. A complex, interlinked system, this network of laws undermines the oversight of the judiciary and the overarching constitutional and legal norms that safeguard the rule of law. Oversight and its related tools remain in the hands of the executive authority to mobilise when, against whom, and in which cases it wishes. This system has been anchored in constitutional amendments and laws that have accumulated over time.

Attempts to monitor corruption through investigations, statistics, comparisons between countries, and examining its manifestations fail to address the main problem, which is that corruption is inherent in the state regime, namely in the legislation and its exploitation by the government. This concern with recording the external manifestations of corruption rather than its mechanisms ultimately serves to reinforce it.

The views represented in this paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Arab Reform Initiative, its staff, or its board.