Popular Sovereignty in Indonesia

by Philip Kitley

As Indonesia moves from being an authoritarian to a democratic country, it becomes essential for the government and other key institutions in the country to think differently about 'the public', on whose behalf the country is now supposed to be run. This book examines the different ideas which are developing in Indonesia about what the public is, and how it should best be represented. It considers how the public is viewed in elections as part of the political process, in the media as an audience, and in the law. The author argues that well-developed ideas about the public are critical if civil society is to develop fully in Indonesia.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 29, 2009