Party Institutionalization and Electoral Failure: The Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) in the 2024 Elections

Abstract

Political party institutionalization is crucial to organizational stability, autonomy, and electoral competitiveness. In Indonesia, the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) failed to enter the national parliament in the 2024 election despite substantial public visibility and an explicit appeal to young voters. Existing discussions have paid limited attention to how uneven institutionalization helps explain this outcome. This study examines PSI’s electoral failure through systemness, decisional autonomy, value infusion, and reification. Using a qualitative case-study approach, it draws on official electoral documents, media reports of party statements and campaign messages, and relevant academic literature. The findings indicate uneven institutionalization: available evidence points to inconsistent application of internal procedures and limited strategic autonomy, especially in presidential-coalition positioning. PSI also relied heavily on Joko Widodo’s political image, but exit-poll evidence indicates that this association did not substantially improve its electoral performance. In contrast, PSI maintained recognizable anti-corruption, anti-intolerance, youth-oriented, and ‘joyful politics’ themes. The study shows that visibility and personalistic branding cannot substitute for organizational consolidation, implying that emerging parties require stronger procedures, autonomy, and institutional identity to build sustainable electoral competitiveness.