Jordanian instability : results of the Syrian civil war and implications for US foreign policy

Jordan's proximity to neighboring conflicts in Iraq and Syria exacerbates existing social, economic and political tensions within the country already existent between its majority Palestinian diaspora population and its disproportionately ethnic Jordanian government. The country is reliant on foreign aid and patronage to address the immediate concerns of its refugee and majority poor populations, although no short-term monetary solution can directly address its inadequate social and physical infrastructure. Although the U.S. has taken a greater role, both economically and militarily in Jordanian affairs, little has been accomplished to resolve the country's long-term stability concerns. While the resolution of neighboring conflicts in Iraq and Syria would ease Jordan's immediate refugee crisis, persistent high unemployment and a lack of educational opportunities for the country's youth demographic, the regime's monopoly of political power, a deeply entrenched system of corruption and the scarcity of water and energy sources, all pose threats to the major non-NATO ally's stability.