Introduction

Jordan's economy has witnessed tremendous growth since the early 1960s. This growth and development came as the result of several factors, the chief catalyst for which was the steady hand of the leadership at the top coupled with a rather liberal sociopolitical and economic atmosphere. This gave the country a measure of stability that allowed for healthy progress. In the second half of the 1980s, Jordan had to face economic recession and problems of public debt finance. However, the Jordanian experiment in socioeconomic development still contrasts favorably to more rigid ideological models elsewhere in the area