Views and conceptions about democracy among Indonesian university students

Abstract: Indonesia, one of the most populous countries in the world, is undergoing a major transition to democracy. In the anti-government demonstrations that led to the fall of the authoritarian leadership of Suharto, many university students played an active and significant role. Whereas professionals with an academic background often have a strong influence over the political and societal affairs of a country, university students will probably influence the political development in Indonesia also in the future. Knowledge of how they view the idea of democracy is therefore very important if we want to understand Indonesia's democratic development. This analysis builds on in-depth interviews with Indonesian university students. It is not statistically representative but gives a qualitative insight into how they view the issue of democracy, both in general and with reference to their opinions about politics and society in Indonesia. The study also focuses on how they estimate the future of democracy in Indonesia and to what extent their views may be understood in the context of globalisation if democracy is viewed as an export commodity. The concept of democracy used in the study is Robert Dahl's definition polyarchy. Most of the interviewed students are positive towards democracy and its future in Indone-sia. However, some of them are eager to emphasise that certain moral values that support the public good must function as a guideline when the citizens exercise their democratic rights. This phenomenon may be regarded as a sign of a resistant political identity created in opposition to the dominant individualistic centred liberal democracy in the era of globalisation. Many interviewees also emphasise that problems like low level of education, national disintegration and the paternalistic cultural features of Indonesia are obstacles to democracy and democratisation. Keywords: Indonesia, students, democracy, polyarchy, Islam, Pancasila, globalisation