The Politicization of the Bureaucracy in Local Government (Case Study in Indonesia)

Abstract

A neutral state civil apparatus will guarantee stability in the government. However, the facts show that the local government's bureaucracy gets political intervention in determining positions. The study aims to describe phenomena of intervention politics in the bureaucracy and the factors causing bureaucratic politicization in the local government. Qualitative methods used literature review and regulatory analysis. The study results showed that the intervention politic in the bureaucracy in two problems. First, the high number of violations of civil apparatus neutrality in implementing the local heads election. Second, there is much practice of buying and selling positions in the local government. The intervention politic in the bureaucracy can be analyzed from the local heads' role as a politician and at the same time as a bureaucratic official. As a politician, the local heads often use civil apparatus for their interests during the elections. As a bureaucratic official, the local heads' position is as a Civil Service Officer (Pejabat Pembuat Komitmen), who has the authority to appoint, place, and transfer to civil apparatus dismissal. Local heads have the power to determine the sustainability of civil apparatus careers.