Democratic transition: Political accountability and policy responsiveness of directly elected mayors in Indonesia

This study explores the transformative impact of democratization and decentralization reforms on local governance in Indonesia, emphasizing the significance of direct mayoral elections introduced in 2005. Historically governed by an authoritarian regime for over three decades, Indonesia's shift toward democratic decentralization involved devolving responsibilities and budgets to local municipalities and reforming mayoral selection processes—from presidential appointment to direct election by local councils, and eventually, to direct voting by constituents. Central to these reforms was the requirement for mayoral candidates to present a development plan, fostering transparency, accountability, and policy coherence, thereby empowering local leaders to better address community needs.

The research defines political accountability in terms of mayors’ responsibility to the populace and public spending, and policy responsiveness as tailoring actions to societal needs and improving outcomes. It seeks to assess how the move to direct elections influences mayoral accountability and responsiveness, addressing four core questions about institutional development, effects on public spending and societal well-being, the moderation of these effects by political competition and elite influence, and the fulfillment of election pledges—particularly in health sectors.

The thesis contributes novel insights through four key aspects: firstly, an integrated analysis of how direct mayoral elections influence public spending and social outcomes, considering the persistence of clientelist practices; secondly, a conditional model that incorporates political competition, elite veto power, and local state capacity to explain variations in redistributive policies; thirdly, an examination of mayoral pledge fulfillment and its relation to accountability, revealing pragmatic and institutional factors influencing responsiveness; and finally, the application of mixed qualitative and quantitative methods—ranging from legal analysis to statistical modeling—providing a comprehensive assessment of Indonesia’s decentralization trajectory.

Structured across five chapters, the research traces the evolution of legal frameworks, examines the effects of democratization on governance quality, develops a conditional redistribution model, analyzes pledge fulfillment, and discusses policy implications. Collectively, the findings highlight the complex relationship of formal institutions, informal practices, contextual factors, and political incentives shaping local governance in Indonesia’s transitioning democracy. This work offers valuable theoretical and practical insights for promoting accountable, responsive governance in decentralizing democracies worldwide.