Decentralization, Democracy and Local Politics in Indonesia

Foreword

The Architecture of the Indonesian State: Diversity in Unity

Thomas B. Pepinsky

Section I: Theory, History, and Challenges

1 Indonesia’s Decentralization Reform: Policy Contexts, Political Dynamics, and Public Perception

Testriono, Ratri Istania, Shanti Darmastuti

2 Understanding Decentralization in Indonesia: Theoretical Perspectives and Contemporary Challenges

Testriono

3 Ex Nihilo, Ex Materia: A History of Indonesian Decentralization from the Colonial to the Contemporary

Eric Jones and Endi Aulia Garadian

Section II: Bureaucracy and Democratic Local Governance System

4 Decentralization and the Rise of Bureaucratic Clientelism in Indonesia

Rahardhika Utama

5 The Competitiveness of Direct Local Elections and Losing Dynastic Candidates

Yoes C. Kenawas

6 Mitigating Conflict: The Role of Power Sharing in Indonesia's Province Proliferation

Ratri Istania

7 Bureaucratic Reform and Decentralization: Insights from Indonesia’s Subnational Government

Evi Maya Savira, Imam Radianto Anwar Setia Putra, and Rico Hermawan

8 After the Re-vision of Special Autonomy in 2021: Development, Recognition, and Democracy in Papua

A Sudiana Sasmita and Ridwan

Section III: Strategic Issues in Post-Reform Era Decentralization  

9 Planning Culture and The After-Effects of Continuous Urban Expansion- A Glimpse of Karawang

Priza Marendraputra, Hana Afifah Amini, and Johannes Widodo

10 Decentralization and the Rise of Sister-City Partnerships in Indonesia

Shanti Darmastuti and Dini Putri Saraswati

11 Decentralization and Carbon Emissions in Southeast Asia: Regional Patterns and the Politics of Blame-Shifting in Indonesia

Dini Tiara Sasmi, Syafhendri and Moris Adidi Yogia 

12 Decentralization and the Role of Women’s Leadership in Achieving Inclusive Policies

Aulia Rahmawati, Izzul Fatchu Reza, and Galuh Pancawati

13 Feminine Political Style in Indonesia’s Decentralization and Local Politics: A Case Study of Airin Rachmy Diany

Darin Atiandina

Epilogue: Evolution, Devolution, and Involution?

Ehito Kimura

Biography

Testriono is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII), Depok, Indonesia. He earned his PhD in Political Science from Northern Illinois University. His research lies at the intersection of comparative politics and public policy, with a focus on democracy and subnational politics. A 2017 Hybl Fellow at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), Virginia, he serves as a Senior Researcher at the Center for the Study of Islam and Society (Pusat Pengkajian Islam dan Masyarakat or PPIM) UIN Jakarta and a Senior Researcher at Populi Center. He is also an Inaugural Lentera Studi Fellow at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), Kyoto University, in 2026. His writings have been published in, among others, Governance and Contemporary Southeast Asia.

Ratri Istania is Associate Professor and Secretary of the Department of Public Administration of National Institute of Public Administration School of Administration (NIPA) Jakarta, Indonesia (Politeknik STIA LAN). She is also the Inaugural Indonesia Fellow at Cornell University's Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, a Senior Fellow at IFAR/IPP UNIKA Atma Jaya, and a Senior Researcher at Populi Center. She earned her master’s degree in political science from Ohio University in 2006 and her doctorate in Political Science from Loyola University Chicago in 2019. She focuses on decentralization, local politics, and governance practices in Indonesia and other developing democracies, while also studying territorial autonomy, power sharing, and conflict.

Shanti Darmastuti is Assistant Professor at the International Relations Study Program, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta. She completed her doctorate in International Relations at Universitas Padjadjaran in 2021. Her research interests include international political economy studies and development studies.