Vol. 2 No. 1 (2026): Journal of Politics, Governance, and Administration (JPGA)
Published:
2026-05-29
Articles
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Dalihan Na Tolu in the Dynamics of Toba Batak Identity Politics in the 2024 Regional Head Election in Pematangsiantar City
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This study examines the role of Dalihan Na Tolu in shaping the dynamics of Toba Batak identity politics during the 2024 Regional Head Election (Pilkada) in Pematangsiantar City. It aims to analyze the models of identity politics and the factors influencing the transformation of Toba Batak identity politics throughout the electoral process. This study employed a qualitative method with a descriptive approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 20 informants, including Toba Batak community members involved in the election, traditional leaders, religious leaders, punguan (clan associations), political party representatives, academics, and non-Toba Batak residents. The data were analyzed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, while data validity was ensured through triangulation. The analysis was guided by theories of identity politics, political culture, political behavior, and the concept of regional head elections. The findings reveal that Toba Batak voters in Pematangsiantar City are no longer predominantly influenced by clan identity. Instead, their political preferences are increasingly shaped by religious identity politics and material-based political considerations. The emergence of rational-cultural voters and the growing influence of Christianity have further reduced the traditional role of clan affiliation in electoral decision-making. In addition, the findings indicate that public trust has fostered multicultural values amid the evolving political landscape. Overall, this study demonstrates a weakening of the traditional role of Dalihan Na Tolu in the dynamics of the 2024 Regional Head Election in Pematangsiantar City.
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Voter Behavior in Mitigating Money Politics during the 2022 Village Head Election in Ujung Teran Village, Karo Regency
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Money politics remains a persistent challenge in local electoral contests and frequently undermines democratic principles. However, the 2022 Village Head Election (Pilkades) in Ujung Teran Village presented an unusual case in which financial incentives were not the dominant factor influencing electoral outcomes. This study aims to analyze voter behavior and explain how the Karo traditional social identity system (Tutur Siwaluh) contributes to mitigating money politics. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews with ten informants, field observations, and document analysis. The findings indicate that most community members exhibit traditional voting behavior characterized by strong kinship ties and deference to customary leaders (Kalimbubu). These local cultural values function as a form of collective moral control, generating internal sanctions through feelings of shame (mela) and the potential loss of social trust. The findings further suggest that strengthening social capital and revitalizing local wisdom may complement formal legal oversight in safeguarding electoral integrity at the grassroots level.
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Money Politics and Political Corruption in Indonesia: A Structured Literature Review and the Electoral Corruption Cycle Framework
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Money politics and political corruption are interconnected problems in Indonesia’s electoral democracy. However, existing studies often examine electoral mobilization and post-election abuses of power separately, leaving the relationship between these phenomena insufficiently integrated. This study aims to: (1) synthesize findings on the relationship between money politics and political corruption in Indonesia; (2) identify the institutional and political factors that enable this relationship to recur; and (3) develop a conceptual framework for the Electoral Corruption Cycle. The study employed a structured literature review informed by systematic review principles and guided by the transparency principles of PRISMA 2020. Nine journal articles published between 2018 and 2025 and available as of December 30, 2025, were included in the thematic synthesis. The analysis generated five themes: structural drivers of political corruption, money politics and electoral mobilization, post-election abuses of power, impacts on democratic quality, and prevention strategies. The findings indicate that high electoral costs, a lack of transparency in political financing, patronage relations, weak oversight, and limited law enforcement may create a risk pathway linking material-based electoral mobilization to the misuse of public authority. This relationship is conditional rather than automatic and is shaped by funding sources, dependence on donors, party organization, and institutional accountability. The study proposes the Electoral Corruption Cycle as an integrative conceptual framework consisting of four phases: political capital accumulation, material distribution, resource recovery and the fulfillment of political obligations, and cycle reproduction. This framework provides an exploratory model for examining the connections among pre-electoral, electoral, post-electoral, and subsequent electoral phases.
