The complexities in Jordan's institutional response to violent extremism

Violent Extremism (VE) in Jordan is mainly driven by structural factors on the community rather than individual level. This necessitates a multi-faceted services-oriented institutional response to VE. Instead, Jordan's response is marked by heavy securitization and a misplaced emphasis on religion as a driver of VE. To understand how and why these two characteristics have evolved, this article examines the effect of functional pressures, veto-powers, and the relation between trust and legitimacy through historical institutionalism. Building on insights from 25 interviews with government officials and non-governmental actors, the article argues that Jordan should reduce the veto-powers of security actors, encourage higher internal adaptability, and design Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) policies that address structural drivers of VE for Jordan's institutional response to VE to succeed.