THE PHENOMENON OF MONEY POLITICS IN VILLAGE HEAD ELECTIONS IN INDONESIA: AN ANALYSIS OF CAUSES, IMPACTS, AND CHALLENGES

Authors

Daniel Pasaribu Universitas Terbuka

DOI:

Keywords:

Money Politics, Village Head Election, Voting Behavior, Political Culture, Local Democracy

Abstract

The phenomenon of money politics in village head elections is still a serious challenge to the quality of local democracy in Indonesia. Although the election of village heads is carried out on the principles of direct, public, free, secret, honest, and fair, the practice of money-based political transactions is still rampant and even considered reasonable by some people. This study aims to analyze the causes of money politics, its influence on voting behavior, and challenges in efforts to prevent it. This study uses a descriptive qualitative approach by involving 50 student respondents who have experience following or directly observing the practice of money politics in the election of village heads in their respective home areas. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using an interactive model that included the process of data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawn. The results of the study show that the practice of money politics is influenced by three main factors, namely pragmatic political culture, low economic conditions of the community, and weak supervision and political awareness of citizens. Money is seen as a form of attention for village head candidates and is the main consideration in determining political choices. Money politics has been shown to influence voting behavior, lower voter rationality, and weaken the integrity of local democracy. In the long run, this practice creates a community's dependence on political elites and hampers the accountability of village government. This research recommends improving political education for the community and the younger generation, strengthening the independence of election supervisory institutions, and prevention strategies based on local culture to build awareness that rejecting money politics is a fundamental step towards democracy with integrity.

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