Decentralization, Democracy and Local Politics in Indonesia

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.

• ForewordThe Architecture of the Indonesian State: Diversity in UnitySection I: Introduction1 Indonesia’s Decentralization Reform: Policy Contexts, Political Dynamics, and Public Perception2 Understanding Decentralization in Indonesia: Conceptual and Theoretical Framework3 Ex Nihilo, Ex Materia: A History of Indonesian Decentralization from the Colonial to the ContemporarySection II: Bureaucracy and Democratic Local Governance System4 Decentralization and the Rise of Bureaucratic Clientelism in Indonesia5 The Competitiveness of Direct Local Elections and Losing Dynastic Candidates6 Mitigating Conflict: The Role of Power Sharing in Indonesia's Province Proliferation7 Bureaucratic Reform and Decentralization: Insights from Indonesia’s Subnational Government8 After the Re-vision of Special Autonomy in 2021: Development, Recognition, and Democracy in PapuaA Sudiana Sasmita and RidwanSection III: Strategic Issues in Post-Reform Era Decentralization 9 Planning Culture and The After-Effects of Continuous Urban Expansion- A Glimpse of Karawang10 Decentralization and the Rise of Sister City Partnerships in Indonesia11 Decentralization and Carbon Emissions in Southeast Asia: Regional Patterns and the Politics of Blame-Shifting in Indonesia12 Decentralization and the Role of Women’s Leadership in Achieving Inclusive Policies13 Feminine Style in Indonesia’s Decentralization and Local Politics: A Case Study of Airin Rachmy DianyEpilogueEvolution, Devolution, and Involution?