Local Governance and Access to Urban Services: Political and Social Inclusion in Indonesia

Abstract

This study examines relationships between local democracy and the barriers to political and social inclusion of marginalized communities in two cities in Indonesia: Bandung as an example of metropolitan city; and Surakarta to give the perspective of a middle-sized city. Since Indonesia has implemented decentralization reforms, local governments carry out basic service delivery. The central government primarily facilitates local government with funding and policies such as slum improvements and financial support for the poor. A central theme in both central government policies and local government programs is the empowerment of marginalized communities of both their mindset and skills to earn. The community perception of government performance is generally high, except for the aspects of the politicization of public services. A difference between Surakarta and Bandung is that the respondents in Bandung believe the city has high levels of corruption. Generally, the respondents are more satisfied with the service delivery by the different government levels within the city, compared to the provincial and central governments and NGOs. This seems to be related to the higher level of interaction with local institutions and their services that benefit the communities. Both cities have recently implemented services to improve public participation, accountability, transparency and access to urban services. The main factors that led to these innovations are inclusive leadership, a community approach, allowing citizens to voice their aspirations, and the smart city concept. Informing marginalized groups about these services could empower them and contribute to the success of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11.