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Jordan's economy continues to struggle, weighed down by a record deficit of $2 billion this year {{when|date=September 2016}}. Inflation in Jordan has risen by 1.5% to 6.1% in December 2010, and unemployment and poverty have become rampant, estimated at 12% and 25% respectively. The government is also accused of impoverishing the working class with regressive tax codes which forced the poor to pay a higher proportion of their income as tax. The parliament is accused of serving as a "rubber stamp" to the executive branch.
Jordan has a history of persecuting activists and journalists. The country amended its penal code in August 2010 and passed a Law of Information System Crimes, to regulate the Internet. Revised laws continue to criminalize peaceful expression and extend those provisions to Internet expression. Jordanian authorities prosecuted peaceful dissidents and prohibited peaceful gatherings to protest government policies. Dissidents confined by the General Intelligence Department routinely sign confessions. According to a report by Amnesty International, intelligence agents in Jordan frequently use torture to extract confessions from suspects.<ref>{{cite web|url=
Some analysts suggests that since [[Demographics of Jordan|peninsular Arabic speaking Jordanians]] form the "bedrock" of the government's support, while self-identifying [[Palestinian people|Palestinian]]s are generally closer to the opposition. Such analysis suggest that many government supporters are worried that if Palestinians are allowed a greater role in the country's politics, they could drag it into the [[Israeli–Palestinian conflict]] against Jordan's best interests. Conversely, Palestinian-Jordanian protesters want their degree of political power to reflect their significant demographic share.
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