The irony of Indonesia's democracy: The rise of dynastic politics in the post-Suharto era.

This article examines the rise and persistence of political dynasties within Indonesia’s democratic institutions, focusing on how politicians resist institutional reforms that might limit their ability to pass power to family members. It presents empirical evidence showing that the number of subnational political dynasties in Indonesia more than tripled between 2010 and 2018, largely due to gradual institutional changes following the country’s democratic transition in 1998. Key factors sustaining dynastic politics include the maintenance of direct local elections and constitutional protections of individual electoral rights, which dynastic politicians have leveraged to preserve and expand their influence despite attempts to introduce anti-dynasty regulations. The study highlights that political dynasties have become normalized in Indonesia’s political landscape and argues that without radical institutional reforms, this trend is likely to continue.