Party politics and democratization in Indonesia: Golkar in the post-Suharto era

Abstract

Party Politics and Democratization in Indonesia: Golkar in the post-Suharto era provides the first in-depth analysis of contemporary Indonesian party politics and the first systematic explanation why Golkar is still the strongest party in Indonesia. Applying a multidimensional conceptual framework of party institutionalization theory, the book examines Golkar’s organizational infrastructure, its decisional autonomy and programmatic platform as well as the party’s relations to the mass media. Strengths and weaknesses in the individual dimensions of institutionalization are then contrasted with the corresponding levels of institutionalization reached by Indonesia’s other major parties. Tomsa argues that Golkar remains Indonesia’s strongest party because it is better institutionalized than its electoral competitors. However, while highlighting the former regime party’s strengths in key aspects of party institutionalization, he also shows that Golkar also has some considerable institutional weaknesses which in 2004 prevented the party from achieving an even better result in the general election. Published less than a year before Indonesia's next parliamentary election in April 2009, this timely study will be of huge interest to students and scholars of Southeast Asian politics, political parties and elections, and comparative democratization theory.