Jaafar Hassan on building trust and strengthening government-citizen partnerships

Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan represents a new model for political leadership in Jordan, as he seeks to rebuild trust between citizens and government institutions through an approach based on the dimensions of political culture. In light of the increasing challenges facing the country, Hassan has emerged as a statesman who pays special attention to political knowledge and popular participation as the foundations that lead to enhancing trust in institutions and political officials.

He works to employ this knowledge in formulating policies that are more responsive to the needs of citizens, by adopting transparent communication mechanisms that contribute to spreading political awareness. He also seeks to involve various societal groups in decision-making processes, which enhances the effectiveness of public policies and makes them more appropriate to the living reality. His awareness of the importance of direct interaction with citizens makes him keen to conduct extensive dialogues to ensure the integration of visions between the government and society.

Knowledge is the first dimension of political culture, which Dr. Jaafar Hassan is well aware of, as he seeks to enhance citizens’ awareness of government policies and decisions made by adopting a more transparent and open approach. Trust in governments does not arise from a vacuum, but from the ability to understand policies and evaluate their performance objectively.

From this standpoint, Hassan works to communicate information clearly and explain government policies in simple and direct language, so that citizens are aware of what is happening in decision-making circles, which contributes to reducing the gap of understanding between the ruler and the ruled.

The second dimension, political participation, is a fundamental pillar of his strategy. The belief in the importance of involving citizens in decision-making and enhancing their role in public life leads to building bridges of trust between the government and the people, which is the third dimension. This approach reflects a deep awareness that a government capable of motivating citizens to participate effectively in a more stable and sustainable government.

Therefore, Hassan works to enhance dialogue with various societal groups, and encourage initiatives that contribute to the integration of youth into public affairs, especially by activating the role of youth centers and developing national programs that aim to engage them in more effective ways.

As part of his efforts to enhance these dimensions, Hassan conducts intensive field visits that include schools and health centers, visits that are supposed to be made by the relevant ministers. However, his insistence on attending in person reflects a new philosophy of governance based on getting closer to citizens and directly learning about the reality of the services provided to them.

Through these visits, he has the opportunity to interact with citizens and listen to their opinions and suggestions, which enhances the feedback process, and thus contributes to improving the performance of government institutions and directing them in line with the actual needs of society. These visits also help enhance direct oversight of the workflow in public facilities, and provide immediate solutions to some urgent problems, reflecting a serious government commitment to improving the level of services and achieving citizens’ aspirations in a practical and effective manner.

In addition, Hassan realizes that Jordan faces major challenges, both economically and socially, but his approach is based on transforming these challenges into opportunities through optimal investment of available resources and enhancing development efforts.

Unemployment and poverty are among the most prominent problems that plague Jordanian society, but Hassan's government is working to create an attractive investment environment that enhances job opportunities and contributes to improving the living conditions of citizens. In this context, Hassan adopts economic policies aimed at stimulating productive sectors and supporting entrepreneurship, which helps provide new job opportunities and reduce unemployment rates.

He also focuses on attracting foreign investments and facilitating bureaucratic procedures, which enhances economic growth, leads to comprehensive development that contributes to achieving social stability, and supports small and medium enterprises as a basic driver of the national economy.

Regarding youth, his vision is evident in the need to activate their role in society and involve them in decision-making processes, as he calls for restructuring and activating youth centers so that they become real platforms for empowerment, training and rehabilitation.

He also stresses the importance of developing national policies for youth, so that they respond to their actual needs and provide them with appropriate opportunities to succeed and contribute to national development. Continuous interaction with youth and listening to their aspirations can contribute to creating a generation that is more aware and engaged in building the country’s future.

In this context, Hassan makes frequent visits to the countryside, villages and cities, where he meets directly with youth, listens to their opinions, and learns about the challenges they face, which enables him to formulate more comprehensive policies that meet their aspirations and contribute to enhancing their role in society.

In general, Prime Minister Hassan’s approach reflects an important shift in government work, as it relies on transparency, field participation and direct interaction with citizens. In doing so, he lays new foundations for a more balanced relationship between the government and society, based on trust and mutual cooperation.

By promoting the principle of good governance, Hassan seeks to improve government performance and ensure the provision of high-quality services that meet citizens’ aspirations. His focus on economic and social development also contributes to enhancing the country’s stability, which contributes to creating a more balanced and sustainable political environment.

Considering the existing challenges, this approach may be the key to achieving more sustainable political, social and economic stability, making Jordan more capable of facing the future with confidence and optimism, and driving the wheel of development towards brighter horizons.

Hasan Dajah is professor of strategic Studies at Al-Hussein Bin Talal University