Democracy Disrupted: High Political Costs, Transactional Politic, and Corruption

Abstract

High political costs result in the degradation of democratic values that cause democratic disruption. This study aims to examine the disruption of democracy in Indonesia that occurs with the phenomenon of high political costs and offers possible solutions. This study uses a qualitative approach with a literature study method. The results show that high political costs are the start of transactional politics and corruption. High political costs result in the use of various illegal means by candidates/figures to find sources of financing. High political costs and a democratic process based on financial capability open up the opportunity for the emergence of figures/candidates lacking integrity and quality ideas/performance. Several solutions can be offered to achieve a more substantive, higher quality, and dignified future era of democracy, including: (1) Political parties and the government should promote the optimization of legal sources of funding for political parties, both in cash and non-cash while strengthening accountability and transparency, (2) The government and election organizers should enhance regulatory enforcement, and supervision, and impose strict sanctions on political party funding, (3) Political parties should prioritize the selection of candidates with high integrity and quality based on their ideas and performances, (4) The government and election organizers should consider implementing e-voting for future elections in Indonesia to enhance digital democracy.