Democratic Ambivalence and The Tolerance of Power Abuse: Evidence from Urban Voters in Indonesia

Authors

• Faris Widiyatmoko, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional "Veteran" JakartaFollow
• Hasyim Nawawi Agustianto, Politika Research & Consulting (PRC)Follow

Abstract

This study examines the discrepancy between normative judgments regarding alleged abuse of power and voters’ electoral behavior in the context of the 2024 general election in Indonesia. Using survey data from urban voters in Jakarta, this study operationalizes democratic ambivalence as the tension between normative attitudes toward the candidacy of Gibran Rakabuming Raka (Gibran) and respondents’ voting behavior. The results of descriptive analysis, cross-tabulation, and multinomial logistic regression indicate that the discrepancy between normative evaluation and electoral preference is the norm for the respondents. The “conflicted accept” category (53.1% of respondents) is made up of those who accept the continuation of Gibran’s candidacy but opt for another pair of candidates. But perhaps more relevant to the question of electoral accountability is the finding in the “conflicted reject” category (28.4%), which includes respondents who reject Gibran continuing his candidacy but still express electoral support for the Prabowo-Gibran ticket. This pattern suggests that the normative opposition to a candidacy, produced by institutional controversy, does not necessarily lead to a loss of electoral support. Regression analysis indicates that these patterns are not significantly explained by age group, education, or income. These findings confirm that the relationship between normative attitudes and voting behavior is non-linear and reflects a separation between normative evaluation and voting behavior in contemporary democratic practice.

Recommended Citation

Widiyatmoko, Faris and Agustianto, Hasyim Nawawi (2026) "Democratic Ambivalence and The Tolerance of Power Abuse: Evidence from Urban Voters in Indonesia," Jurnal Wacana Politik: Vol. 11: Iss. 3, Article 13.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24198/jwp.v11i3.13
Available at: https://journal.unpad.ac.id/wacanapolitik/vol11/iss3/13