Indonesian Politics

Economic disasters have a history of bringing down governments in Indonesia; COVID-19 impacts hardest on the disadvantaged in an already fragile system.

Research shows most voters use shortcuts to assess public policy. Afrimadona argues that in Jakarta, the leader associated with the policy is key, even if voters might lean elsewhere with different information.

Indonesia's environmental policies are at odds with the rhetoric around palm oil production and Indonesians are not equipped with enough information to understand the risks of a changing climate.

Indonesia’s labour unions refer to the new omnibus legislation proposed by the government as RUU Cilaka, which sounds like the Bahasa Indonesia word for “wretched”.

A reflection on the Jokowi and Prabowo campaign strategies and how they unfolded.

The role of youth and students has been sidelined in the history of the resistance movement.

Extremist labels are being utilised to repress criticism, strong-arm opponents and silence challengers of the Indonesian government.

The co-existence of Indonesia’s competitive elections with illiberal trends appears contradictory but the two are in fact interrelated.

Social media companies have more control than the government of Indonesia in limiting the freedom of expression of its citizens. To what extent will they control the political discourse in Indonesia?

The make-up of Joko Widodo’s second-term cabinet confirms worrying trends.

Jokowi's priorities for his second term revolve around human resources development, but not human rights.

Bipartisanship and problems of representation in Indonesian politics.

The 2019 ANU Indonesia Update conference takes stock of Indonesian democracy.

Renewed rivalry between pluralists and Islamists coexists with catch-all patronage politics.

Some Indonesian politicians are taking on the industries which dominate politics in their regions. But can working in the system change much?

Considering whether five years of Jokowi–Prabowo competition is dividing Indonesian society.

Road building is good for the economy overall but does little to solve the congestion that plagues Indonesia’s major provinces.

Fears of intolerant Islamic movements have intensified identity politics in Christian communities in the east.

There’s little reason not to expect a comfortable win for Jokowi, but difficulties in predicting legislative election results remain.

Socially conservative female candidates are making their mark in the 2019 legislative elections.

Islamic boarding schools are ground zero for Jokowi’s efforts to win over the Muslim grassroots. Ideology and patronage are both playing a part.

Why attempts to mobilise the civil service in presidential elections aren’t likely to have much effect.

Reflections on socio-religious developments and the political role of Indonesia’s Islamic preachers appealing to the middle class.

The eastern islands showcase how national-level polarisation filters through to the grassroots, but also how the realities of decentralised power interfere with national-level political designs.