Publication

This paper addresses local political consequences of Indonesia's decentralization and electoral reforms. The study encompasses three districts in North Sumatra province and compares local politicians with regards to their institutional resource bases and coalitional strategies. The author argues that at least three types of coalitions (political mafias, party machines, and mobilizing coalitions) contend for district-level political power in Indonesia. Each coalition is associated with a particular set of institutions that provide it with a resource base.