The Interrelationship Between the Presidential Threshold and the Parliamentary Threshold in Indonesia’s Electoral System: Weighing the Balance Between Governmental Stability and Democratic Representation

Hasanah Hasanah (Universitas Cahaya Bangsa)
Ichwan Ahnaz Alamudi (Universitas Cahaya Bangsa)
Rabiatul Afwaliah (Sekolah Tinggi Agama Islam Kuala Kapuas)

Adil Ka'Talino: Jurnal Hukum dan Wacana Keadilan
Vol. 2 No. 1 (2026): Adil Ka'Talino: Jurnal Hukum dan Wacana Keadilan

This study examines the interrelationship between the Presidential Threshold (PT) and the Parliamentary Threshold (ParT) within Indonesia's electoral system under Law Number 7 of 2017 on General Elections. Unlike previous studies that predominantly analyse these threshold mechanisms separately, this research investigates their interaction as an integrated institutional design. It evaluates their combined impact on the simplification of the political party system, democratic representation, and governmental stability. Employing a normative legal approach grounded in library research, the study analyses constitutional provisions, statutory regulations, judicial decisions, academic literature, and Sinta-indexed legal journals to assess the legal and political consequences of Indonesia's dual-threshold framework. The findings demonstrate that the interaction between PT and ParT has significantly influenced party coalition formation, presidential nomination, legislative representation, and the overall competitiveness of elections. While the dual-threshold mechanism helps reduce excessive party fragmentation and strengthen the effectiveness of the presidential system, it also limits political inclusiveness by restricting the participation of smaller parties and reducing the number of electoral alternatives available to voters. Consequently, political decision-making becomes concentrated among larger political parties, potentially affecting legislative representation, policy formulation, and the constitutional principle of equal political participation. The study further argues that Indonesia's electoral system cannot achieve effectiveness through threshold mechanisms alone but requires a comprehensive institutional design that balances party system simplification with democratic inclusiveness. It concludes that the current dual-threshold arrangement should be periodically re-evaluated to ensure proportionality between governmental stability, constitutional democracy, and fair political representation in accordance with the principles of Indonesia's constitutional order