The Coalitions Presidents Make: Presidential Power and Its Limits in Democratic Indonesia (Cornell Modern Indonesia Project)

In The Coalitions Presidents Make , Marcus Mietzner explains how Indonesia has turned its volatile post-authoritarian presidential system into one of the world's most stable. He argues that since 2004, Indonesian presidents have deployed nuanced strategies of coalition building to consolidate their authority and these coalitions are responsible for the regime stability in place today. In building coalitions, Indonesian presidents have looked beyond parties and parliament—the traditional partners of presidents in most other countries. In Indonesia, actors such as the military, the police, the bureaucracy, local governments, oligarchs, and Muslim groups are integrated into presidential coalitions by giving them the same status as parties and parliament. But while this inclusiveness has made Indonesia's presidential system extraordinarily durable, it has also caused democratic decline. In order to secure the stability of their coalitions, presidents must observe the vested interests of each member when making policy decisions. The Coalitions Presidents Make details the process through which presidents balance their own powers and interests with those of their partners, encouraging patronage-oriented collaboration and disincentivizing confrontation.

In The Coalitions PresidentsMake , Marcus Mietzner explains how Indonesiahas turned its volatile post-authoritarian presidential system intoone of the world's most stable. He argues that since 2004,Indonesian presidents have deployed nuanced strategies of coalitionbuilding to consolidate their authority and these coalitions areresponsible for the regime stability in place today. In buildingcoalitions, Indonesian presidents have looked beyond parties andparliament-the traditional partners of presidents in most othercountries. In Indonesia, actors such as the military, the police,the bureaucracy, local governments, oligarchs, and Muslim groupsare integrated into presidential coalitions by giving them the samestatus as parties and parliament. But while this inclusiveness hasmade Indonesia's presidential system extraordinarily durable, ithas also caused democratic decline. In order to secure thestability of their coalitions, presidents must observe the vestedinterests of each member when making policy decisions. TheCoalitions Presidents Make details the process through whichpresidents balance their own powers and interests with those oftheir partners, encouraging patronage-oriented collaboration anddisincentivizing confrontation.

"The book explains why Indonesia's presidential system turned from an extraordinarily unstable polity one into one of the world's most solid. It did so, the book argues, because constitutional changes incentivized the creation of coalitional presidentialism arrangements that bind a wide variety of political forces to the status quo"-- Provided by publisher