Journal of Political Issues

China's Hegemonic Strategy through the Belt Road Initiative: Implications for Political and Security Governance in Asia

Fadhli Zikri — 2025-05-23

This study aims to analyze China's strategy to establish itself as a new hegemon in Asia through the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Using a descriptive-qualitative method and the international political economy approach, this research examines BRI from the perspectives of mercantilism and liberalism. The findings indicate that BRI functions as a strategic tool for China to expand its political and economic influence by investing heavily in global infrastructure. The program enhances international connectivity, accelerates trade, and creates employment opportunities in partner countries. However, concerns about a debt trap and economic dependency have emerged in some recipient nations. The study concludes that BRI exemplifies modern mercantilism, positioning China as a dominant actor in the emerging political and security governance of Asia.

The Muria Strait Narrative in Shaping Public Perception of the Great Demak Flood of March 2024: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Habib Yudha Pratama — 2025-05-29

The Muria Strait narrative dominated discourse on social media during the Great Demak Flood of March 2024. While previous studies have focused on ecological and disaster mitigation aspects, this study explores the power relations and discursive practices in constructing public perceptions of the Great Demak Flood of March 2024 through the Muria Strait narrative. Using Fairclough's critical discourse analysis approach, this study analyzed posts from two local media Instagram accounts. The results of the analysis identified four main discourses: ecological, positivist, spiritual, and fear. The Muria Strait narrative shaped power relations in the production of meaning for the Great Demak Flood of March 2024. Through this narrative, individual and collective identities were naturalized, and research institutions were institutionalized, thus influencing the direction of government policy in preventive, mitigation, emergency response, and recovery actions. Social media tended to use the Muria Strait narrative to simplify the complexity of material data related to the event. These findings suggest that the Muria Strait narrative diverts public attention from more pressing material facts. The discourse on the “re-formation of the Muria Strait” functions as a myth that can trigger social resistance, especially if supported by strong material facts, thus strengthening the legitimacy of the narrative.

Representation of Women as Election Administrators in Jambi Province: Challenges and Strategies for Strengthening

Burlian Senjaya — 2025-06-04

The low representation of women in election management institutions is a structural problem that continues to hamper the consolidation of electoral democracy in Indonesia. This study highlights the limitations of the implementation of the affirmative policy of 30% female representation in the membership of the General Election Commission (KPU) and the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) in Jambi Province. Using a qualitative approach through observation, documentation, and in-depth interviews with key actors in the recruitment process, this study found that most areas in Jambi Province have no female representation at all. The main obstacles include a deep-rooted patriarchal culture, weak social networks and women's technical capacity, and selection practices that are not yet gender-inclusive, coupled with geographical constraints that limit women's participation. Using theories of political representation, gender, and institutions, this study analyzes how biased social and institutional structures contribute to reproducing these inequalities. The main contribution of this study is the strengthening of the concept of institutional constraints based on local culture that explain the failure of affirmation in the regional context. Recommendations offered include increasing women's capacity through political training, reforming selection mechanisms based on a gender perspective, and strengthening collaboration between stakeholders. Thus, this study provides an empirical and theoretical basis for building a more inclusive, gender-equitable, and contextual local democracy agenda.

Analysis of Civil-Military Relations in Indonesia after the 1998 Reform

Yusa Djuyandi — 2025-06-06

In civil-military relations in a democratic country, there must be a balance of power between military instruments and non-military instruments. Indonesia itself certainly has a long history of military reform and is full of heavy obstacles, the source of which usually comes from the government or regime in power in a country. After the fall of the tyrannical regime in 1998, it was certainly the first step in the revival of military reform and towards the formation of better democratization in Indonesia. Over time, Indonesia has increasingly shown positive indications on its journey towards democracy. TNI reform and civilian control in Indonesia can actually be said to have not been fully realized and are still in the process of transition towards the expected civil society. Thus, Indonesia must remain careful and self-aware in dealing with the dynamics that may occur in the future, because the potential for conflict that harms civil-military relations may still exist and will occur. The preparation of this research article is based on the use of qualitative methods based on the collection of literature study data by producing descriptive analysis. The research results found are how the current military reform in Indonesia is, then what political policies and related institutions are in post-reform military control, and an explanation of the researcher's assessment of civil-military relations in Indonesia.

Diverging Views, Shared Interests: Japan-India Security Partnership

Satrio Agung Wicaksono — 2025-06-18

Since the early Cold War era, Japan has cooperated exclusively with the United States in security matters. However, since the end of the Cold War, Japan began to diversify its bilateral security cooperation with other countries in the region, including those who do not necessarily share its immediate strategic interests, such as India. This article examines decision to choose India as its bilateral security partner, which started since 2008. This study relies on desk research, analyzing primary and secondary data collected from 2008-2025. The research applied qualitative deductive method and uses triangulation as an analytical tool. The analysis is grounded in neoclassical realism, which highlights the interaction between systemic pressures and domestic-level variables. Systemic factors examined included increasing maritime insecurity (terrorism and piracy) and the rise of Chinese maritime capabilities. In addition, the domestic perception and role of the foreign policy executive, particularly Prime Minister Abe, is taken into consideration. Findings from this research show that systemic pressures, especially from rising China,have pushed Japan to seek cooperation with like-minded regional actors. Furthermore, Abe’s “Confluence of the two seas” speech framed India as the linchpin in Japan’s Indo-Pacific strategy, citing its shared democratic values and status as a maritime states. These factors, combined with favorable elite perceptions of India, helped form Japan’s decision to choosing India as its security partner.

Clientelism in Village Head Elections in Purwadadi Village, Ciamis Regency

Nabila Azzahra — 2025-06-19

Markun Marhani, one of the regional political actors with a background as a former convict, is the oldest candidate, and has a lower educational background compared to other candidates, emerged as the winner in the Village Head Election in Purwadadi Village, Purwadadi District, Ciamis Regency in 2022. This victory is considered possible because there is a clientelism relationship in the village head election. To analyze this problem, the author conducted a study using the theory of patronage and clientelism put forward by Aspinall and Sukmajati supplemented by the concept of power elites. This study uses a qualitative research method with purposive sampling and snowball sampling informant determination techniques with source triangulation validity tests, through in-depth interview data collection techniques, observation, and documentation. The results of this study show that in order to win the Village Head Election in Purwadadi Village, Purwadadi District, Ciamis Regency for the 2022-2028 period, Marhani applied several variations in the form of patronage and clientelism that he carried out with the village political elite and the surrounding community. The forms of patronage and clientelism variations used are vote buying, individual gifts, and service and activities. In addition to using patronage and clientelism patterns as the main pattern, Marhani's success is supported by the political culture of the Purwadadi Village community which is at the level of subject political culture (kaula) driven by the pragmatism of the surrounding community.