Less is More

Abstract

This chapter offers an overview of how the US engages Indonesia and how Indonesian approaches and permanent political constraints affect such engagement. In addition to a novel interpretation on the relationship between the two countries, the chapter also builds on and contributes to the existing interpretations of the US approach to Indonesia. The chapter proceeds chronologically while showing that some elements of US and Indonesian foreign policy approaches are permanent. Indonesia and the United States have common interests and only by working on the basis of such common interests can the US engagement produce results. Focusing on issue areas where such common interests do not exist and on matters that require US power to change Indonesia’s ways tends to be counterproductive. That is especially true when US interests require action that Indonesians consider intrusive or compromising of the Indonesian national sovereignty. The chapter shows that the United States tends to succeed when it focuses on its core interests and fails when it tries to exercise influence on too many Indonesian policies and interferes too much into Indonesia’s internal affairs. Less is more in US–Indonesian policies.