The Supremacy of the Executive: Elitist Politics in Indonesia’s Decentralized Reality

Abstract

There are several factors that contribute to make Indonesia’s local politics elitist—from the transfer of great authority to the smallest of the subnational entities, to the fact that Indonesia’s model of territorial organization is a subsidized one. Taking into consideration the lack of institutionalization of the Indonesian political parties on the local level, as well as the elements that contribute to the weakening of the local legislatives, this paper will explain how the Indonesian decentralization process has resulted in a model that situates the local executives in a supremacist position, paving the way for local elites to hegemonize and control the local political processes.