Power, Politics, and Political Entrepreneurs: Realising Universal Free Basic Education in Indonesia

Abstract

About IDSThe Institute of Development Studies is one of the world's leading charities for research, teaching and communications on international development. Founded in 1966, the Institute enjoys an international reputation based on the quality of its work and the rigour with which it applies academic skills to real world challenges. Its purpose is to understand and explain the world, and to try to change it -to influence as well as to inform.IDS hosts five dynamic research programmes, five popular postgraduate courses, and a family of world-class web-based knowledge services. These three spheres are integrated in a unique combination -as a development knowledge hub, IDS is connected into and is a convenor of networks throughout the world.The Institute is home to approximately 80 researchers, 50 knowledge services staff, 50 support staff and about 150 students at any one time. But the IDS community extends far beyond, encompassing an extensive network of partners, former staff and students across the development community worldwide. This publication is copyright, but may be reproduced by any method without fee for teaching or non-profit purposes, but not for resale. Formal permission is required for all such uses, but normally will be granted immediately. For copying in any other circumstances, or for re-use in other publications, or for translation or adaptation, prior written permission must be obtained from the publisher and a fee may be payable. SummaryAid budgets face immense pressure -despite overseas aid being critical for poverty alleviation in developing countries and the explicit commitments of the world's industrialised countries to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Public support for international development and aid will play a key role. Will the public become unsure about the UK's aid budget when they begin to feel cuts in government expenditure at home? How well equipped are we to 'sell' the UK's aid programme to a sceptical public in times of economic austerity? This working paper presents the results of a qualitative enquiry into public perceptions of international development and aid in the UK. Using data from the Mass Observation Project (MOP) at the University of Sussex, the authors investigate the views of 185 members of the general public.The study finds that, while people can conjure up ideas of why poverty exists, they know very little about the confluence of factors that actually drive poverty and/or the daily lives of the poor. Thus, poverty is seen as caused primarily by bad governments and natural disasters, almost as a stereotype. People have major doubts about the effectiveness of aid, perhaps reflecting the fact that they tend to be much better at picturing aid 'failure' than aid 'success'. Nonetheless, there is support for aid in principle; people think that the UK has a responsibility to help the poor in developing countries, primarily on ethical grounds. This research has clear implications for the way in which the UK communicates with the British public about aid and de...

Do Productive Government Expenditures Affect Economic Growth? Evidence from Provincial Governments across Indonesia

“…In Article 34, Paragraph (2), it is stated that the central government and regional governments will ensure that such a minimum obligatory education is realized. To support this policy, the government began offering school operational aid (Bantuan Operasional Sekolah, BOS) in 2005 (Rosser, Joshi, & Edwin, 2011). Of the special funds allocated to regional governments between 2003 and 2006, approximately 70% were allocated for education, health, and road construction.…”

Personnel Politics: Elections, Clientelistic Competition and Teacher Hiring in Indonesia

“…Teaching jobs are also highly desirable patronage benefits that can be handed out to supporters. In Indonesia, teachers are also revenue generators for political machines via the elicitation of illegal school fees from parents (Rosser and Fahmi 2016; Rosser, Joshi and Edwin 2011). This makes teachers a prime target for recruitment into political machines.…”

Dinamika Kebijakan Pendidikan Agama Islam Di Perguruan Tinggi Umum

“…Sebagaimana birokrat" yang' secara efektif menggabungkan kekuatan politik dan birokrasi (Robinson, 1996: 79-104). Kelompok ini, yang mendominasi politik Indonesia selama Orde Baru, dan tetap menjadi kekuatan yang berpengaruh di masa pasca-Orde Baru (Rosser, et al, 2011).…”