cover
Contact Name
M. Reza Saputra
Contact Email
journal.democracy@gmail.com
Phone
+6285117086910
Journal Mail Official
journal.democracy@gmail.com
Editorial Address
Cendana Residen blok i5, RT 4. pondok benda Pamulang, Tangerang Selatan, Provinsi Banten
Location
Kota tangerang selatan,
Banten
INDONESIA
Journal of State Democracy
ISSN : -     EISSN : 31108768     DOI : https://doi.org/10.65101/jsd
Core Subject : Social,
Journal of State Democracy (JSD) published triannually in January, May, and September, stands as a preeminent international scholarly venue dedicated to rigorous academic inquiry into the mechanisms, performance, and theoretical foundations of democratic governance and state institutions within the global political landscape. Strategically distributed across the academic calendar to sustain continuous engagement with pressing democratic challenges, each triannual issue features a carefully curated collection of peer-reviewed research articles, theoretical contributions, and empirical investigations that advance contemporary understanding of democratic systems in their multifaceted dimensions encompassing institutional architecture, civil society participation, electoral dynamics, policy responsiveness, democratic accountability mechanisms, and the complex interplay between state authority and democratic legitimacy. By maintaining an unwavering commitment to intellectual pluralism, methodological rigor, and international scholarly collaboration while adhering to stringent publication ethics standards, the journal serves as an indispensable platform for political scientists, democracy scholars, policymakers, and practitioners who seek to comprehend not merely the ideological aspirations but the empirical realities, structural conditions, causal mechanisms, and normative foundations that sustain, strengthen, or destabilize democratic regimes across diverse national, regional, and transnational contexts in the twenty-first century.
Articles 7 Documents
Public Ethics and the Legitimacy of Indonesian Democracy: Protests over DPR Allowances, Elite Conflict, and Civil Response: Etika Publik dan Legitimasi Demokrasi Indonesia: Protes Tunjangan DPR, Konflik Elite, dan Respons Sipil M. Reza Saputra
Journal of State Democracy Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025): Journal of State Democracy 
Publisher : Yayasan Cerdas Pedia Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.65101/jsd.v1i1.36

Abstract

This study examines the August 2025 controversy over parliamentary allowances in Indonesia as a critical case of public ethics failure and its impact on democratic legitimacy. By applying a qualitative case‐study approach and critical discourse analysis of primary news sources and academic literature, the research investigates elite rhetoric and actions that revealed profound disconnects from citizen realities. It further explores how digitally mediated civil responses transformed latent frustration into coordinated mass protests, amplifying challenges to institutional trust. The analysis situates these events within structural weaknesses of Indonesia’s “fat coalition” system, demonstrating how the absence of effective legislative opposition fosters elite impunity and ethical erosion. Findings highlight the causal sequence from coalition dynamics to oversight failure, elite misconduct, civic mobilization, and legitimacy crisis. The study concludes that without fundamental reforms to strengthen checks and balances particularly a functional legislative opposition Indonesia’s democracy remains vulnerable to recurring cycles of elite impunity and public distrust.
Analysis of Noken System in Papua Elections: Implications for Democracy and National Political Stability: Analisis Sistem Noken dalam Pemilu Papua: Implikasi bagi Demokrasi dan Stabilitas Politik Nasional Muh Alghifari; Hilmayanti Ilham; Nur Hijrih Awaliya Yashab; Fera Zabira Zahra
Journal of State Democracy Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025): Journal of State Democracy 
Publisher : Yayasan Cerdas Pedia Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.65101/jsd.v1i1.47

Abstract

The Noken system has been implemented since 2004 so that it has been 21 years since it has experienced challenges and obstacles in its implementation so far, this election system has become a specialty for Papua Province due to several factors including geography and culture, the Noken system is considered not in accordance with the principles of democracy and disrupts political stability so that the purpose of this article is to examine the implementation of the noken system on the quality of democracy and political stability. By using normative legal research methods, namely assessing the harmony between legal norms and implementation in society, the results of the study show that although the Noken System is strengthened through the Constitutional Court's decision, but what cannot be denied is the occurrence of fraud in this system which leads to disruption of political stability because the right to vote is considered not to be carried out transparently and there is no guarantee of a deliberation result represented in this system as the principle of general elections, so it is necessary to adapt to the principles of general elections, not to abolish this system and try to adapt it to the true values of democracy.
The Twilight of Democracy in Post-Reformasi Indonesia: An Institutional Regression Analysis and the Resurgence of Authoritarian Patterns: Senjakala Demokrasi di Indonesia Pasca-Reformasi: Analisis Regresi Institusional dan Kebangkitan Pola Otoritarian Arief Gunawan
Journal of State Democracy Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025): Journal of State Democracy 
Publisher : Yayasan Cerdas Pedia Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.65101/jsd.v1i1.52

Abstract

This study examines Indonesia’s democratic regression post-Reformasi through an interactive framework of three institutional pillars: security sector reform failure, party system dysfunction driven by cartelization and oligarchy, and the weakening of independent oversight bodies. Quantitative analysis of democracy scores (EIU, Freedom House, IDI) reveals stagnation and decline from 2014–2023, corresponding with controversial legislative revisions and judicial rulings eroding civil liberties. Literature review shows how political elites exploit unaccountable security apparatus to suppress opposition, while oligarchs finance parties to form fat coalitions that secure their interests. This political–security alliance systematically undermines the KPK and Constitutional Court via autocratic legalism, creating a vicious cycle of democratic regression. Findings confirm that regression is not isolated incidents but the product of destructive interactions among these pillars. The study concludes that structural reform of political funding, completion of security sector reform, and revitalization of civil society are essential for restoring democracy in Indonesia.
Discourse Analysis of Substantive Democracy in Anies Baswedan’s Dialogue with UGM Students: Analisis Diskursus Demokrasi Substansial dalam Dialog Anies Baswedan dengan Mahasiswa UGM Rizki Fauzan Yusuf
Journal of State Democracy Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025): Journal of State Democracy 
Publisher : Yayasan Cerdas Pedia Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.65101/jsd.v1i1.53

Abstract

This study analyzes the dialogue between Anies Baswedan and Universitas Gadjah Mada students as a microcosm of Indonesia’s post-Reformasi democratic paradox. Employing Teun A. van Dijk’s Critical Discourse Analysis, the research examines three discourse dimensions: textual structure, social cognition, and social context. Primary data from the dialogue transcript were analyzed to identify core themes: institutional crisis (KPK and Constitutional Court), youth economic justice and welfare, identity-based political polarization, and quality of civic space and meaningful public participation. Findings reveal that student questions act as a civil society “watchdog” mechanism, demanding a shift from procedural to substantive democracy. The politician’s responses expose tensions between procedural rhetoric and substantive needs, reflecting challenges in institutional reform, welfare distribution, social cohesion, and civil liberties. The paper underscores the role of youth as democratic change agents and recommends more meaningful participation channels to strengthen Indonesia’s democratic legitimacy.
Power Relations in Local Democracy: An Analysis of the Position of BPD and Village Heads in the Indonesian Constitutional System: Relasi Kekuasaan dalam Demokrasi Lokal: Analisis Kedudukan BPD dan Kepala Desa dalam Sistem Ketatanegaraan Indonesia Adhe Ismail Ananda; Fadli Maulana; Muh. Taqwin Tahir; Rahmat Angga Dwi Putra
Journal of State Democracy Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025): Journal of State Democracy 
Publisher : Yayasan Cerdas Pedia Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.65101/jsd.v1i1.54

Abstract

Village democracy is the embodiment of people's sovereignty guaranteed in Law Number 6 of 2014 concerning Villages. BPD is presented as a community representation institution that functions deliberative and supervises the Village Head as an executive. However, in practice, the role of BPD is often ineffective because the election process is often intervened by the Village Head, even the membership is dominated by people close to the village executive. As a result, BPD more often acts as a policy "stamp" rather than carrying out a supervisory function. This study uses a normative juridical method with a legislative and conceptual approach. The results of the study show that the relationship between BPD and Village Head is still uneven, with the dominance of village executives and weak BPD independence. This condition lowers the quality of local democracy and weakens the principle of checks and balances. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the BPD election mechanism, increase institutional capacity, and participatory supervision for a more accountable village democracy.
Designing Institutional Framework for Political Parties in Indonesia: Democratic Analysis and Party Autonomy M. Reza Saputra; Taufiqurrohman Syahuri; Ahmad Ahsin Thohari
Journal of State Democracy Vol. 1 No. 2 (2026): Journal of State Democracy
Publisher : Yayasan Cerdas Pedia Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.65101/jsd.v1i2.180

Abstract

This study examines the institutional design of political parties in Indonesia post-Reformation, which is hindered by state intervention through mandatory legal entity status under Law Number 2 of 2011. Utilizing normative legal research and comparative legal analysis with Germany, Sweden, and the UK, this study analyzes how the administrative authority of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights is frequently misused to intervene in internal party disputes, thereby undermining party autonomy. Findings indicate that the current legal entity regime functions as an instrument of executive political control rather than neutral administration, contradicting the principle of legal certainty. This research recommends a five-pillar institutional model, including: separating legal entity status from electoral participation requirements, establishing the General Elections Commission (KPU) as the sole neutral entry point for registration, transferring dispute resolution to independent courts, internal democratization via term limits, and strengthening financial transparency. These reforms aim to restore party independence as an accountable democratic pillar, free from oligarchy and state manipulation.
The Shift of Legislative Power in Indonesia: A Review of the Legislative Function Within a Presidential System Erham; Miftahuddin; Maskur
Journal of State Democracy Vol. 1 No. 2 (2026): Journal of State Democracy
Publisher : Yayasan Cerdas Pedia Indonesia

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.65101/jsd.v1i2.228

Abstract

This research examines the evolution of legislative power in Indonesia, shifting from an executive-heavy system to a legislative-heavy one post-1945 Constitutional amendments. Despite normative repositioning, contemporary practices reveal a paradoxical return to executive dominance, fueled by oversized coalitions and expedited legislative processes. This study uses a normative juridical method with statute, historical, and conceptual approaches to analyze this shift. Findings indicate that mechanisms such as the Omnibus Law and Perppu effectively marginalize checks and balances while reducing public participation to a mere formality. This phenomenon, categorized as autocratic legalism, reflects significant democratic backsliding where legal instruments are increasingly utilized for power consolidation rather than safeguard against authoritarianism. To restore constitutional balance, the study recommends institutionalizing political opposition, enhancing the DPR's independent technical capacity, and enforcing stricter judicial standards for meaningful public involvement. These measures are vital to ensuring legislative functions remain a true manifestation of popular sovereignty within modern democracy.

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