Political Party Financing and Democratic Consolidation in Indonesia

This project will study the financial practices of political parties in Indonesia, which some observers view as the main reason for the current unpopularity of party politics and thus as a threat to the country s democracy. Analysing in detail parties money flows, the research will focus on three major areas: first, the income that parties receive from the state, lobbyists and corrupt activities; second, the expenditure patterns of politicians, particularly when cultivating constituents; and third, the legal framework for political financing. While primarily exploring the inner workings of Indonesia s democracy, the project will also enrich the comparative analysis of party financing, a crucial sub-field in the study of party systems.