Abstract
How have processes of domestic migration and urbanization re-shaped Jordan's repertoires of distributive politics, especially through the formal channels of parliament? How do Jordan's regime and tribal networks maintain spatially-oriented patronage networks in light of this migration? This project advances our understanding of these questions first by providing a finely-grained snapshot of the distribution and evolution of tribally-linked populations in Jordan by pairing novel voter file data across periods with several tribal genealogies, proposing various measurements of the density of tribal linkages. Second, the project reviews recent electoral reforms in Jordan, which have required constituents to register in their place of residence rather than providing them the option to register in their place of birth. Drawing on qualitative interviews and quantitative electoral returns, we examine the impetus behind these reforms, establish how tribally-linked candidates shift repertoires in response, and consider implications for the distribution of public goods across Jordan's urban/rural divides. In addition to generating novel measures of tribal linkages for scholars studying distributive politics, this project aims to carefully trace the strategic interactions that can sustain and maintain tribal and patronage networks amid urbanization.
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