Indonesian Journal of Law and Policy Studies
Vol. 6 No. 2 (2025): Indonesian Journal of Law and Policy Studies

Center Region Relations and National Cohesion in Indonesia

Slamet Riyanto (Universitas Muhammadiyah Palembang)
Ahmad Ahmad (Universitas Muhammadiyah Tangerang)



Article Info

Publish Date
15 Nov 2025

Abstract

This article examines the long-term challenge of national integration in Indonesia through the historical development of constitutional arrangements and their interaction with contemporary governance practices. It explains how federalism, unitarism, and center–region relations continue to influence political stability and national cohesion. The study applies normative legal research supported by historical and conceptual analysis. Primary materials include constitutional documents and state policies, while secondary materials cover scholarly works on decentralization, separatism, governance, and disaster management. The findings show that Indonesia’s integration problems are rooted in structural inequality, unresolved historical legacies, and governance practices that reinforce perceptions of regional marginalization. The article also finds that federalism operates less as a realistic constitutional alternative than as a symbolic political discourse that re-emerges during crises, including the 2025 hydrometeorological disaster in Sumatra. It concludes that constitutional design alone is insufficient to sustain national integration without inclusive governance, equitable development, institutional responsiveness, and stronger public trust

Copyrights © 2025






Journal Info

Abbrev

IJLP

Publisher

Subject

Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice Social Sciences

Description

The aim Indonesian Journal Of Law and Policy Studies is to offer a venue for academicians, researchers, and practitioners for publishing their original research articles or review articles. The scope of the articles published in this journal deals with a broad range of topics in the fields of ...