Unity Through Division: Political Islam, Representation, and Democracy in Indonesia

Fossati designed a series of surveys to find out why the rise of political Islam after Indonesia’s democratic transition in 1998 has not destabilized the country’s politics. Patronage relations play a big role in elections, as do economic issues, but he finds that religious affiliations are a major determinant of how people vote. Indonesians who believe that Islam should enjoy a privileged status in state policy form a majority of the electorate, and they vote at high rates. The government has not—so far—met most of their demands. Yet these voters report high levels of satisfaction with the way democracy works in their country. It is true that Indonesian politics are increasingly polarized. But so far, the belief among Islamist voters that the political system is listening to them has helped stabilize Indonesia.