Community Participation in Political Development: A Study of Political Engagement in General Election in Indonesia

Abstract

—Legislative elections are a form of community participation in political development. Public participation in the elections is one of significant factors in the victory of a legislative candidate. This encourages a legislative candidate deciding manners to assemble public participation to win the election, includes by engaging methods that violate ethics and law. Community trend and participation in legislative elections in Indonesia have experienced a shift or different political approaches between new order regime and reforms era. The political power approaches do not result authentic community participation in legislative elections, whereas the mass society political approach produces genuine participation without unfavourable vote.