Political Culture that Developed in

Indonesia

Created by Intan Permata Sari

014201500121

Banking & Finance 1

PRESIDENT UNIVERSITY

2018
 Abstract

Human life in society has an important role that is influential in the political system of
a country. Humans are domiciled as social beings, where always interact with other humans
in realizing the needs of his life. The necessities of life are not only basic, such as eating,
drinking, biological, and clothing. It also includes the need for recognition of self-existence
and respect of others in the form of praise, giving of wages, status as members of society,
members of a particular political party and so on.

Every citizen, in his daily life, is almost always in touch with the political aspects of practice,
whether symbolic or not. In the process of implementing it can occur directly or indirectly
with political practices. If indirectly, this is limited to hearing information, or news about
political events that occurred. And if directly, the person is involved in a particular political
event. Political culture is part of the culture of society with more distinctive features. The
terms of political culture include the question of legitimacy, the regulation of power, the
process of government policymaking, the activities of political parties, the behaviour of the
state apparatus, as well as the feeling of society towards the governing power.
INTRODUCTION
The term political culture began to be known especially since the flow of behavioralism.
But this term contains controversial because it is not clear in the concept. The critics say that
merging the two cultural and political concepts alone already contain confusion, especially if
the concept of explaining the political phenomenon. However, in the political literature
especially the behavioral approach, this term is often used to explain facts that are only done
with institutional or systemic approaches. In other words, explaining with the approach of
political culture is an attempt to enter more deeply into the political behavior of a person or a
group.

Politics is an activity in a political or state system concerning the process of determining

the objectives of a system and implementing that goal. The life of a country cannot be separated
from political activities. Political activities that are identical with power in the life of a state
are implemented to achieve a common goal. Political development in a country is strongly
influenced by the cultural development that exists in the society of the country. Education and
political understanding of society greatly influenced the development of political culture in
Indonesia which has different characteristics during the Old Order, New Order, and
Reformation. The development of political culture is realized with the creation of political
parties. Political parties are always trying to win the people's sympathy in election activities
aimed at placing people in their party that is not against the ideology of the state and the 1945
Constitution. Therefore, in order for the society to have an appropriate political view, political
socialization is conducted in accordance with the conditions and developments the existing
environment.

The more stable a government becomes, the easier it is to socialize politics. In principle,
there is no perfect change, but we must strive for the development of the political culture to
develop in accordance with the expected, namely to achieve common interests, so that people
who play an important role in the development of a country's political culture able to participate
in political life. Political participation is the activity of a person or group of people to participate
actively in political life, by choosing to elect a state leader directly or indirectly influence
government policy. This includes actions such as voting in general elections, attending general
meetings, becoming members of a party or interest group, and so on. The political participation
of the community greatly facilitates the development of a political culture within a country.
The Type of Political Culture Growing in Indonesian Society
According to Aristotle (384 - 322 AD), a human is a "zoon politicon" or human who
basically always hang out and gather with other fellow human beings. Humans are
interdependent to each other to meet their needs. Basically community members are
interconnected as a social unity through a feeling of solidarity due to historical, political and
cultural backgrounds. Political society is a politically conscious society or participates in the
life of the state in his life as a citizen. A political society composed of political elites and
political masses into routine participants in political competition must be built as a component
of society that has a political ethics in democracy.

The political culture that develops in every country is very diverse, it is influenced by
the character of their political culture. To know the character of a nation's political culture can
be measured through several dimensions that develop in society, such as:
a. The level of public knowledge held by the public about the country's political system,
such as historical knowledge, geographical location, and country's constitution.
b. Community understanding of the structure and role of government in making a
policy.
c. Understanding of the strengthening of policies that include opinion input from the
public and mass media to the government.
d. Community participation in political and state activities, as well as an understanding
of rights and obligations and responsibilities as citizens.

In the development of the types of political culture in Indonesian society is strongly

influenced by the development of the prevailing political system. Therefore the types of
political culture in Indonesian society can be distinguished into three groups, that is:
1. The Old Order Period
The first national elections were held during the Old Order period, held on a
gradual basis, on 29 September 1955 Elections to elect members of the People's
Legislative Assembly and on 15 December 1955 to elect Constituent Assemblies.
The number of seats up for grabs is 260 members of the House of Representatives
and 520 Constituent Assemblies plus 14 representatives of minority groups appointed
by the government. Election 1955 based on Law no. 27 of 1948. Law no. 12 The year
1949 on General Election which was attended by more than 170 political parties,
including independent individual candidates divided into 15 districts, adjusted to the
 existing provinces. Those with voting rights are Indonesian citizens, Arab, Chinese
and European descendants, as well as members of the army and police.

At this time the growing political culture was under the influence of the
domination of Islam which is the majority religion of Indonesian society.
Nevertheless, according to Deliar Noer, Muslims in Indonesia are politically often
involved in theoretical and ideological controversies, both with secular nationalists
and among their own Muslims. The breakup of this Muslim community spawned the
rise of various political parties. With the multi-party system, the existing political
parties were divided into two, namely those who adhere to religious political
principles. The number of parties does not benefit the development of a stable
government. But in reality, the political parties do not perform the function as
expected. Conditions like this are very vulnerable, resulting in many irregularities
against Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution.

2. The New Order Period

The first election in the New Order Period was held in 1971 based on Law
no. 15 of 1969 on General Elections. The election in 1971 was born as a total
correction of the Old Order government which is considered to have deviated against
Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution. The next election was held on May 2, 1977,
based on the Election Law no. 4 of 1975 with a proportional system in the electoral
district. During the New Order period, political parties were given the opportunity to
move more freely, although still with a multi-party system. The implementation of
the election in 1977 occurred the simplification of political parties participating in
the election based on Law no. 3 of 1975 on Political Parties and Golkar are as follows:
a. Partai Persatuan Pembangunan (PPP) which is a combination of NU,
Partai Muslimin Indonesia, Partai Syarikat Islam, dan Perti.
b. Partai Demokrasi Indonesia (PDI) which is a combination of Partai
Nasional Indonesia, Partai Kristen Indonesia, Partai Katolik, Partai
Murba.
c. Golongan Karya (Golkar) which is a collection of various groups of
Indonesian people from various professions. Both political parties and one
group have survived since the election of 1982 based on the Election Law
 no. 2 of 1980, 1987 under the Election Law no. 1 of 1985 and continued
to be used until the election of 1992.

The vote in 1977 was always dominated by Golkar. In its development, the
New Order was still doing deviations that are almost the same as the Old Order
government, even in relation to the problem of racial errors occur greater. This
happens because the political culture that developed during the New Order era is
more in a closed political culture. The New Order government was considered to
have failed to make corrections to what had happened to the previous government.

3. The Reform Period

The 1999 election was the first election after President Suharto stepped down
which is a new phase known as reform. The 1999 election was implemented under
the Election Law no. 3 of 1999 which was carried out on 7 June 1999 under the
administration of B.J. Habibie which was attended by 48 political parties. The
beginning of reform in Indonesia was triggered by the practice of Corruption,
Collusion, and Nepotism (KKN). Reformation was born in Indonesia as an attempt
to make changes to the political errors that occurred in the political development in
Indonesia and attempt to change the life of a conductive, transparent and inclusive
political culture.

Role and Political Culture of Participant

1. Political Communication
Political communication is a reciprocal relationship in the life of society,
nation, and state where the people are the source of aspirations and sources of national
leadership. Political communication both vertically and horizontally in both the
superstructure and the infrastructure is intended to realize the political understandings
that can be accepted by all parties for the realization of political objectives. The
political objectives cannot be separated from the goals of political parties and the
objectives of political parties should also be the same with the political objectives set
forth in the Constitution of the State.

The same political objectives between political parties and the State objectives
are expected to not occur unhealthy political competition between political parties,
 considering that each political party will have political discipline, social discipline, and
national discipline. Any activities of a political party shall not be at the expense of
national, ideological, and State interests.

2. Political Participation
Democracy is one form of implementation of political culture. Political culture
in Indonesia is essentially inherent in the prevailing political system in Indonesia. On
the norms, the values and provisions that exist in our State political culture are always
associated with the prevailing political system of Pancasila democracy.

Participation of society in the participant's political culture can be realized

through the following actions:
 Ability to actively participate in political life using political rights in
elections.
 Knowing their rights and obligations as citizens.
 High tolerance of dissent.
 A great soul receives the strengths of others and receives defeat.
 Prioritize deliberations of mutual interest.
 Delivering its democratic rights as stipulated in the Act.
 Ability to participate in environmental activities.
CONCLUSION
Political culture is a political aspect of a system of values developed in a society that is
influenced by the atmosphere of the time and the level of education of the society itself. The
political culture developed in a country is motivated by the situation, condition and education
of the society itself, especially political actors who have authority and power in making policy,
so that the political culture that develops in the society of a country will change from time to
time. So the differences in awareness and political participation of the community will create
political-cultural differences that developed in the society.

Political society is a politically conscious society or a society whose participation in the

life of the state becomes important in its life as a citizen. A political society composed of
political elites and political masses into routine participants in political competition must be
built as a component of society that has a political ethics in democracy. The types of political
culture developed are influenced by the characteristics of society. In the development of the
type of political culture developed in Indonesia is strongly influenced by the development of a
prevailing political system, so that in Indonesia is divided into three groups (1) Old Order, (2)
New Order, and (3) Reformation, by implementing multi-party developing in accordance with
community aspirations.

Political socialization is done in accordance with existing environmental conditions,

the more stable the government, the easier it is to socialize politics. Political socialization is
concerned with aspects of homogeneity and heterogeneity. In the country of Indonesia, the
function of control or oversight of the government's performance by the people through the
legislative body has an obligation to guarantee the implementation of human rights protection
and guarantee. The expected political system is the elaboration of the noble values of Pancasila
as a whole in constitutional practice, ranging from the administration of government,
development, and society in order to realize a just and prosperous society.

Political participation is the activity of a person or group of people to actively

participate in political life, by choosing a state leader and directly or indirectly influencing
government policy. The form of political participation developed in the country of Indonesia
is the participation that supports the creation of national development goals and in manifest by
displaying behaviors that are in accordance with the values of Pancasila.
Bibliography
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