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Jokowi’s Authoritarian Turn and Indonesia’s Democratic Decline

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  • Thomas P. Power

Abstract

This article examines the decline of Indonesia’s democratic institutions under President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) ahead of his 2019 re-election bid. It argues that the latter part of Jokowi’s first term has seen a downturn in the quality of Indonesian democracy, associated with the continued mainstreaming and legitimation of a conservative and anti-pluralistic brand of political Islam; the partisan manipulation of key institutions of state; and the increasingly open repression and disempowerment of political opposition. These trends have served to unbalance the democratic playing field, limit democratic choice, and reduce government accountability. This article first discusses the medium-term ramifications of the polarised 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election and their implications for 2018’s marquee political events: a major round of sub-national elections and the presidential nomination process. It then argues that the Jokowi government has taken an ‘authoritarian turn’ ahead of the 2019 elections, highlighting its manipulation of powerful law enforcement and security institutions for narrow, partisan purposes, as well as the administration’s concerted efforts to undermine and repress democratic opposition. Finally, it frames the 2019 election as a contest between two candidates—Jokowi and Prabowo Subianto–who display little regard for the democratic status quo. The declining quality of Indonesian democracy is particularly troubling in a global context of democratic recession.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas P. Power, 2018. "Jokowi’s Authoritarian Turn and Indonesia’s Democratic Decline," Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(3), pages 307-338, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:bindes:v:54:y:2018:i:3:p:307-338
    DOI: 10.1080/00074918.2018.1549918
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    Cited by:

    1. Hoy, Christopher & Toth, Russell & Merdikawati, Nurina, 2024. "How does information about inequality shape voting intentions and preferences for redistribution? Evidence from a randomized survey experiment in Indonesia," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    2. David Hudson & Claire Mcloughlin & Anna Margret & Yolanda Pandjaitan, 2020. "Leadership, Identity and Performance: The Nature and Effect of ‘Prototypicality’ in Indonesia," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(4), pages 201-213.
    3. Nurul Listiyani & M. Yasir Said & Afif Khalid, 2023. "Strengthening Reclamation Obligation through Mining Law Reform: Indonesian Experience," Resources, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-14, April.
    4. Roestamy, Martin & Martin, Abraham Yazdi & Rusli, Radif Khotamir & Fulazzaky, Mohamad Ali, 2022. "A review of the reliability of land bank institution in Indonesia for effective land management of public interest," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    5. Andi Andi & Anang Sujoko & Wawan Sobari, 2021. "Oligarchical Populism; The Analysis of President Joko Widodo's Political Communication," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 21(1), pages 446-458, July.
    6. Masduki, 2021. "Media Control in the Digital Politics of Indonesia," Media and Communication, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(4), pages 52-61.

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