In light of the recent revolt in Tunisia and ongoing protests in Egypt, many are asking "Is Jordan next?" According to Sean Yom, assistant professor of political science at Temple, it's possible.

Yom says we may be seeing a "contagion effect" — the revolt in Tunisia emboldened the Egyptian protesters to rise up against the Mubarak regime, and led to mass rallies in Jordan that forced King Abdullah II to dismiss his cabinet several days ago. 

"Indeed with new marches in Yemen underway and separate demonstrations planned in Syria and Bahrain, the region is witnessing an unprecedented tide of popular protest that is now threatening long-ruling dictatorships," said Yom.

"Jordan, a critical American ally and Israeli peace partner, could be the next front of this revolutionary wave."


In an opinion piece appearing in both Foreign Policy and National Public Radio, Yom writes that the real solution for Jordan is to "re-engage its citizens on issues that matter....The palace cannot control the global economy, but it can reconfigure its institutions. How many happy anniversaries it celebrates in the future will depend on how it responds to this gauntlet."

Yom's work broadly focuses on authoritarianism and development in the Middle East.  His current research looks at how social conflict and international pressures shaped the origins and durability of six autocratic regimes: Kuwait, Tunisia, Jordan, Bahrain, Iran and Iraq.