Diversity in Local Politics and Its Implications for Democracy and Governance at the Local Level

Book excerpt: This paper analyses diversity in Indonesian local politics and how it affects the country's democracy and governance. The analysis assumes that one of the main determinants of the transition to democracy in the local context is the degree of consolidation at the state and society levels. Indonesian local politics vary by location in this respect, according to the degree of political consolidation at the state and society levels and how the channels between these two levels are managed. The paper explores two principal elements of local democracy that are critically important to the quality of rule by the people: (1) representative democracy (parties and candidates, elected authorities and elections) and (2) participatory democracy (civil society, forging consensus and civic engagement). This assessment includes institutional aspects (rules, organizations and key actors) as well as processes (types and methods of practice and implementation). The findings show that the varying degrees of local political consolidation in different areas means that the implementation of democracy in this country differs from place to place. As a diverse democracy, Indonesia is better understood from local perspectives.