The Jordanian public has experienced limited democracy since gaining independence in 1946 however the population has not suffered as others have under dictatorships imposed by some Arab regimes.

[6] On 30 July 1988, King Hussein dissolved Jordan's lower house of parliament, half of whose members represented constituencies in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

[7] On 31 July 1988, King Hussein announced the severance of all legal and administrative ties with the West Bank, except for the Jordanian sponsorship of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, and recognised the PLO's claim to the State of Palestine.

[8][9] Subsequent civil unrest followed with Prime Minister Zaid al-Rifai alleged to have used heavy-handed tactics against the population which resulted in riots in April 1989.

The King's action to re-convene parliamentary elections was considered a significant move forward in enabling the Jordanian public to have greater freedoms and democracy.

This was labelled by the think tank Freedom House as, "the Arab World's most promising experiment in political liberalization and reform".

[10] The resumption of the parliamentary election was reinforced by new laws governing the media and publishing as well as fewer restrictions on freedoms of expression.

[12] It has been argued that the influence of tribalism in determining Parliament election results in Jordan should not be overlooked; it is stronger than political affiliations.

Tribal identity has a strong influence over Jordanian life: "…identities remain the primary driving forces of decision making at the level of the individual, the community, and the state".

[16] The Constitution does not provide a strong system of checks and balances within which the Jordanian Parliament can assert its role in relationship to the king.

During the suspension of Parliament between 2001 and 2003, the scope of King Abdullah II's power was demonstrated with the passing of 110 temporary laws.

Not only are rural areas overrepresented, but the broad authority vested in the king makes it difficult for a party to win control of the government solely at the ballot box.

[21] Public disillusion with existing political parties has been highlighted in research carried out by the Centre for Strategic Studies at Jordan University.

Still, serious constitutional, political, and internal hurdles continue to prevent it from enjoying the prerogatives and from performing the range of functions that are appropriate for a legislature in a democratic system".