Inequality and the 2019 Presidential Election in Indonesia: Beyond Identity Politics

Abstract

This study intends to understand vote based on economic evaluationat the 2019 presidential election in which Joko Widodo wasincumbent, and Prabowo was the challenger. This paper arguesthat the presidential election in 2019 is a political arena wherethe voters assess the incumbent government’s economic policies, oneof which is redistributive. Redistributive policies are understood asgovernment policies intended to reduce the gap between the rich andpoor people or inequality. This empirical study uses merged data fromBPS, Bappenas, and the KPU. By employing a unique dataset, theoriginality of this study is located on the relevance of redistributivepolicies in political contestation. This study estimates the outcomeof the presidential election using the ordinary least square (OLS)method. It points out that reducing inequality at the district levelinfluenced the presidential election result. This paper stresses thatthe capability of the government to reduce inequality determines theresult of the election.How to Cite:Prasetyawan, W. (2022). Inequality and the 2019 Presidential Election in Indonesia: Beyond Identitiy Politics. Signifikan: Jurnal Ilmu Ekonomi, 11(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.15408/sjie.v11i1.22540.