Public trust in government rises to 65%, highest level since 2011 - CSS

AMMAN — Public confidence in the government of Prime Minister Jafar Hassan has risen to 65 percent, the highest level of confidence in a Jordanian government since 2011, according to a new survey by the University of Jordan's Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS).

The poll, conducted at the end of April, reflected a steady rise in public approval since the government was formed, as confidence stood at 54 per cent when the government took office, rose to 51 per cent at the 100-day mark and has now reached 65 per cent after 200 days in office.

Among opinion leaders, 64 per cent said the government was successfully managing its responsibilities - slightly lower than the 70 per cent at the 100-day mark, but still higher than the 52 per cent at its formation.

At a press conference announcing the results, the CSS noted that Hassan's government has achieved unprecedented levels of public trust compared to previous governments, with both the Prime Minister and his cabinet receiving improved ratings.

Confidence in Hassan personally has also rose, with 71 per cent of the public saying he is capable of leading the government, compared to 55 per cent at 100 days and 57 per cent at inauguration. Among opinion leaders, this figure reached 75 per cent.

The performance of the ministerial team showed similar gains, with 60 per cent of respondents now believing that the ministers are competent, up from 47 per cent at the 100-day mark. Optimism about the direction of the cabinet reached 58 per cent among the general public and 50 per cent among opinion leaders.

Public perceptions of the Kingdom's direction have also improved, with 74 per cent now believing that Jordan is on the right track - up from 47 per cent at the 100-day mark.

The Prime Minister's local visits appear to have had a positive impact on citizens. Two thirds of respondents expressed satisfaction with these visits, while 40 per cent reported tangible benefits in their local area as a result.

Engagement with government activities is also on the rise. More than half of respondents, some 52 per cent, said they follow government action, while an overwhelming 94 per cent of opinion leaders reported doing the same.

Belief in the government's commitment to service delivery has also increased, with the results showing that 36 per cent of the public said they "strongly agree" and 39 per cent "somewhat agree" that the government is doing its best - up from 17 per cent and 45 per cent respectively in the previous survey.

Freedom of expression indicators also improved slightly, with 55 per cent of Jordanians now saying they can criticise the government without fear, up from 51 per cent.

Despite the generally positive mood, a majority of both the public (65 per cent) and opinion leaders (56 per cent) oppose a cabinet reshuffle at this time.

Meanwhile, confidence in Jordan's core institutions remains high. The Jordanian Armed Forces, the General Intelligence Directorate and the Civil Defence each received approval ratings of 99 per cent, while Public Security scored 89 per cent.

The nationally representative survey included 1,225 adults and 356 opinion leaders from seven professional and political sectors. It was conducted between 17 and 27 April with a margin of error of ±3 per cent and a confidence level of 94 per cent.