From Welfare State to Power State: Public Policy Transformation Under the Shadow of Oligarchy and Shadow Government in Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15575/ks.v7i1.44682Keywords:
Welfare State, Power State, Oligarchs, Shadow Government, Public PolicyAbstract
Indonesia is experiencing a shift from a welfare state to a power state, where public policies are increasingly influenced by oligarchs and shadow governments. This study uses qualitative methods, namely: 1) Using descriptive-critical analysis to understand the phenomenon of public policy shifts; 2) Examining the role of political and economic actors in shaping state policies. This study analyzes the transformation with a qualitative approach through literature study and public policy analysis. The results show that the dominance of elite groups in decision-making hinders democratization, exacerbates social inequality, and reduces government transparency. The implications of this research are: 1) Theoretical Implications, namely: a) Development of State Theory and Public Policy; b) Criticism of Democracy and Welfare Theory; c) Contribution to the Study of Governance and Political Corruption. 2) Practical Implications, namely: a) Policy Recommendations for the Government; b) Increasing Community and Civil Society Participation; c) Improvement of the Legal System and Anti-Corruption Enforcement; d) Reform of Political Parties and the Electoral System. The solutions offered by the author are: 1) Increasing Transparency and Accountability of Government; 2) Strengthening Democracy and Community Participation; 3) Public Policy Reform for People's Welfare; 4) Suppressing the Domination of Oligarchs and Shadow Government; 5) Strengthening the Legal System and Rule Enforcement. With these solutions, it is hoped that the transformation of public policy can be oriented back to the welfare of the people, not only to the interests of the ruling elite.
References
Agustino, & Leo. (2006). Dasar-dasar Kebijakan Publik. Alfabeta.
Anggraeni, D., Alamsyah, W., & Agus Sunaryanto, I. C. W. (2025). No Title. Regresi Pemberantasan Korupsi Meski Indeks Persepsi Korupsi Naik.
Annisa, N. N., & Nandy, D. (2024). Global Tax Trends and Transformations: A Literature Review on Change and Adaptation. Jurnal Perpajakan Dan Keuangan Publik, 3(1), 29–35.
Bell, S., & Hindmoor, A. (2024). Business politics is usually about attempts to exert influence rather than power evidence from Australia. Business and Politics, 26(1), 124–141.
Dahl, R. A. (1971). Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition. Yale University Press.
Dahl, R. A. (1978). Modern Political Analysis”. Prentice Hall of India.
Darmawan, A. P., & Adhi, I. S. (2025). Perjalanan Kasus Pagar Laut Tangerang’. KOMPAS.Com.
Dimyati, K., Nashir, H., Elviandri, E., Absori, A., Wardiono, K., & Budiono, A. (2021). Indonesia as a legal welfare state: A prophetic-transcendental basis. Heliyon, 7(8).
Gautney, H. (2023). The new power elite. Oxford University Press.
Hadiz, V. R., & Robison, R. (2013). The political economy of oligarchy and the reorganization of power in Indonesia. Indonesia, 96(1), 35–57.
Hasudungan, A., Waskito, A. S. A., Banjaransari, A., Sanjaya, A., Ferlito, C., Pramudya, E. P., Gracelle, F., Matthew, J. A., Widjaja, N., & Casadio, P. (2023). Indonesia Economic and Business Outlook 2023. Prasetiya Mulya Publishing.
Heinz, E., & Prewitt, K. (1973). Labyrinths Of Democrazy. Boobs Merrill.
Hersh, E. (2023). The political role of business leaders. Annual Review of Political Science, 26(1), 97–115.
ICW. (2024). Siapa yang Akan Diuntungkan? Bisnis Ekstraktif dan Energi Terbarukan di Balik Kemenangan Prabowo-Gibran. Indonesia Corruption Watch. https://antikorupsi.org/sites/default/files/dokumen/ICW-Siapa yang akan Diuntungkan_ Bisnis Ekstraktif dan Energi Terbarukan di Balik Kemenangan Prabowo-Gibran.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
John W. Creswell. (2018). Pendektan metode kualitatif, kuantitatif dan camuran (4th ed.). Pustaka Pelajar.
Kenawas, Y. C. (2023). The irony of Indonesia’s democracy: The rise of dynastic politics in the post-Suharto era. Asian Journal of Comparative Politics, 8(3), 748–764.
Kiriya, I. (2021). From “troll factories” to “littering the information space”: Control strategies over the Russian internet. Media and Communication, 9(4), 16–26.
Kristian, I. (2023). Kebijakan Publik Dan Tantangan Implementasi Di Indonesia. Jurnal Dialektika: Jurnal Ilmu Sosial, 21(2), 88–98. https://doi.org/10.54783/dialektika.v21i2.155
Laksana, M. W., & Abduh, M. (2023). The Power of Social Movements: Activism in the Age of Connectivity. Journal of Current Social and Political Issues, 1(1), 18–23. https://doi.org/10.15575/jcspi.v1i1.441
Lang, K., & Lang, G. E. (2023). Collective behavior theory and the escalated riots of the sixties. In Human nature and collective behavior (pp. 94–110). Routledge.
Mahyudin, M. A. A. (2024). The The Declining Role of Islamic Politics and The Jokowi’s Factors in the 2024 Presidential Election: A Study of Contemporary Political Policies and Dynamics in Indonesia: A Study of Contemporary Political Policies and Dynamics in Indonesia. Religion and Policy Journal, 2(1), 1–9.
Marandici, I. (2017). Oligarchic state capture: wealthy elites and state autonomy in communist and postcommunist countries. Rutgers University-School of Graduate Studies.
Nugroho, R. (2012). Public policy. Kompas Gramedia,Jakarta.
Paranata, A. (2025). A Systematic Literature Review of Anti-corruption Policy: A Future Research Agenda in Indonesia. Public Organization Review, 1–34.
Tambunan, D. (2023). The intervention of oligarchy in the Indonesian legislative process. Asian Journal of Comparative Politics, 8(2), 637–653.
Transparency International Indonesia. (2024). Indeks Persepsi Korupsi 2024: Korupsi, Demokrasi, dan Krisis Lingkungan. Transparency International Indonesia. https://ti.or.id/indeks-persepsi-korupsi-2024-korupsi-demokrasi-dan-krisis-lingkungan/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Virananda, I. G. S., Dartanto, T., & Wijaya, B. D. (2021). Does money matter for electability? Lesson learned from the 2014 legislative election in Indonesia. Sage Open, 11(4), 21582440211054492.
Winters, J. A. (2011). Oligarchy. Cambridge University Press.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Ramadha Yanti Parinduri, Khairuddin Tampubolon, Pin Pin, Nunti Sibuea, Gunawan Undang
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).