Participatory governance is commonly implemented as an ad hoc programme to empower the citizen. In limited cases, such as Indonesia, it is institutionalized into the state bureaucracy and implemented nationwide. However, implemented by a New Developmentalist regime that is nationalistic and centralistic in its governance approach, the effectiveness of participatory institutions for overcoming issues of poverty and marginality is under question.

Drawing from case studies on the implementation of the New Village Law in Indonesia, this article critically examines how the Participatory Village Governance policy has been designed and implemented by the New Developmentalist regime to address issues of poverty and marginality.

This article is based on a field monitoring study of the implementation of the Village Law at the village level, and supplemented by qualitative interviews at the village, district, and national levels with the implementing agencies of the participatory institutions and the broader community.
 

Suggested Citation:

Syukri, M. (2024). Neglecting the poor and marginalized: Participatory village governance in Indonesia's New Developmentalist state. Development Policy Review, 42, e12776. https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.12776