The journey of economic establishment in Indonesia during the post-colonial era has been influenced by the complex interplay of democracy, autocracy, and developmentalism. Indonesia's experience with state capitalism has witnessed several cycles of regime rises and collapses, including guided democracy, the New Order, and the reform era. This research aims to provide a historical analysis of the rise and fall of state capitalism across these regimes, highlighting the emergence of a new form of state capitalism following the collapse of the reform era over the past two decades. The research employs a qualitative method grounded in a critical phenomenological approach. Preliminary findings suggest that the new era of state capitalism in Indonesia is bolstered by the rise of populist figures who have shifted focus from pro-poor policies to broader economic development. This shift facilitates the emergence of a new politico-bureaucratic and politico-business landscape, centred around numerous megaprojects. Additionally, this research seeks to illustrate the contradictions of this new era, such as the increase in social class inequality and the recentralisation of power accumulation, which align with the state’s primitive accumulation mode.

Authors:
M Dian Hikmawan, The University of Sydney, Australia

About the Presenter(s)
M Dian Hikmawan, currently doing his PhD at the University of Sydney, is supervised by Professor John Keane. He is doing research about state capitalism and democracy. Investigating the intersection between political economy and political ecology in the case of the new capital city in Indonesia.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-dian-hikmawan-211687179/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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