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Vol. 7 No. 2 (2025): Politicon : Jurnal Ilmu Politik
The latest issue of Politicon: Jurnal Ilmu Politik (Volume 7, Number 2, 2025) brings together seven thought-provoking studies that illuminate the dynamic intersections of governance, representation, and political identity in Indonesia and beyond. Together, these contributions reaffirm Politicon’s commitment to fostering rigorous, interdisciplinary scholarship that bridges theory and empirical inquiry across diverse political settings.
The opening article, “Women Candidates, Social Capital, and Family Networks in the 2024 Indonesian Local Election,” offers a refreshing look at women’s agency in politics. Moving beyond the elite-centric lens, it demonstrates how non-elite female candidates mobilize social capital, community trust, and kinship networks to overcome structural barriers. This insight enriches gender and representation studies in Indonesia’s still-patriarchal electoral culture.
The second contribution, “Public Governance Orchestration and Politics Agenda in Implementing Indonesia’s Nutritious Meal Program,” situates governance reform within the context of policy innovation. Through a meticulous cost–benefit analysis and qualitative governance mapping, the study reveals how fragmented coordination and information asymmetries hinder a potentially transformative national program. It advances the discourse on evidence-based policymaking and public sector coordination in post-populist democracies.
The third article, “Voter Turnout Among Compulsory Voting Countries: Evidence from 1973 to 2018,” broadens Politicon’s comparative horizon by re-examining the efficacy of compulsory voting across 34 countries. By employing panel data and robust quantitative models, it reveals that the institutional enforcement of compulsory voting yields variable outcomes across election types, adding nuance to longstanding debates on political participation and democratic legitimacy.
Two subsequent articles turn attention back to Indonesia’s political landscape. “Dynastic Politics and Party Persistence: Mechanisms of Elite Power Reproduction in Indonesian Democracy 2024 Elections” dissects how dynastic networks and cartelized parties perpetuate elite domination. It warns of a democracy reduced to procedure, not substance—echoing global concerns about the resilience of oligarchic regimes in electoral systems. Complementing this, “Cultural Legitimacy and Political Identity: Traditional Titles in Electoral Politics, Lampung, Indonesia” investigates how local elites instrumentalize cultural symbols and customary law to extend their political reach, urging scholars to reflect on the fine line between cultural authenticity and pragmatic politicization.
The sixth paper, “Pilkada and Identity Politics in Multicultural Cities: An Analysis of the 2024 Singkawang’s Local Politics Contestation,” examines how ethnic and religious identities shape urban electoral dynamics. By using Singkawang as a multicultural microcosm, the study offers critical insight into Indonesia’s struggle to balance inclusivity and political competition amid growing identity polarization.
Finally, “Modalities of the First Female Regional Head in North Maluku in the 2020 Sula Islands Regional Election” revisits women’s leadership trajectories, showing how social modalities and dynastic linkages intersect to shape local power structures. The case of Fifian Adeningsi Mus underlines both the opportunities and limitations of dynastic access in promoting gender equality in subnational politics.
Collectively, these seven articles deepen our understanding of representation, governance innovation, and the evolving nature of Indonesian democracy. They underscore the importance of contextual, empirically grounded political research in navigating Indonesia’s democratic transformations. As Politicon enters its seventh volume, it continues to serve as a vital platform for re-imagining political science as an inclusive, critical, and future-oriented discipline in Southeast Asia.
Published:
2025-08-31
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