Dynamics and Challenges of Civil Society Organizations in Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53013/bestuurskunde.6.1.75-87Keywords:
Civil Society Organizations, public policy, governance, civil societyAbstract
Civil society organizations (CSOs) are key actors in democratic governance and social development in Indonesia. However, the rapid growth in the number of CSOs has not been supported by effective governance, regulation, and institutional development. This study analyzes the dynamics of CSOs in Indonesia from a public policy perspective, with a focus on regulatory frameworks, institutional arrangements, public perceptions, and the implications of CSO development policies. It employs a qualitative approach based on policy review, drawing on more than 200 documents, including laws and regulations, government reports, internal documents from the Directorate General of Politics and General Government, academic publications, and survey data from research institutions. The findings show that, despite their significant contributions to social services and public participation, CSOs face persistent challenges, including overlapping institutional mandates, weak oversight mechanisms, and ambivalent public perceptions. Comparative analysis suggests that effective CSO governance requires a balance between freedom of association, transparency, and institutional accountability. This study highlights the importance of a more integrated and evidence-based reformulation of community organization development policies, and positions the Directorate General of Politics and General Government (BSKDN) as a key actor in shaping national CSO policy. It also contributes an analytical framework for CSO governance that integrates regulatory, institutional, and public perception dimensions within the broader context of state–civil society relations in Indonesia.
Downloads
References
Alvara Research Center. (2023). Survei nasional persepsi masyarakat terhadap ormas. https://alvararesearch.com repository.uisu.ac.id+3e-journal.uingusdur.ac.id+3eprints.umm.ac.id+3
Amnesty International. (2022). India: FCRA and shrinking civic space. https://www.amnesty.org SpringerLink
Andrews, M., Pritchett, L., & Woolcock, M. (2017). Building State Capability: Evidence, Analysis, Action. In Building State Capability. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198747482.001.0001
Anheier, H. K. (2014). Nonprofit Organizations: Theory, Management, Policy. In Nonprofit Organizations: Theory, Management, Policy. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315851044
Antlöv, H., Brinkerhoff, D. W., & Rapp, E. (2010). Civil Society Capacity Building for Democratic Reform: Experience and Lessons from Indonesia. Voluntas, 21(3), 417–439. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-010-9140-x
Aspinall, E. (2005). Opposing Suharto: Compromise, Resistance, and Regime Change in Indonesia. Stanford University Press.
Asrida, W., Marta, A., & Hadi, S. (2021). Civil society, democracy and democratization. Nakhoda: Jurnal Ilmu Pemerintahan, 20(2), 131–142. https://doi.org/10.35967/njip.v20i2.225
Asshiddiqie, J. (2006). Ilmu Hukum Tata Negara. In Ilmu Hukum Tata Negara (Vol. 1). www.jimly.com/pemikiran/getbuku/4
Astuti, S. I. (2019). Civil society and social services in Indonesia. Journal of Civil Society, 15(3), 227–243. https://doi.org/10.1080/17448689.2019.1624572
Banks, N., Hulme, D., & Edwards, M. (2015). NGOs, States, and Donors Revisited: Still Too Close for Comfort? World Development, 66, 707–718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.09.028
BBC News Indonesia. (2017). Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia dibubarkan pemerintah. BBC News Indonesia. https://www.bbc.com/indonesia/dunia-39842436
Birkland, T. A. (2019). An Introduction to the Policy Process: Theories, Concepts, and Models of Public Policy Making: Fifth Edition. In An Introduction to the Policy Process: Theories, Concepts, and Models of Public Policy Making: Fifth Edition. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351023948
BNPT. (2020). Laporan Tahunan BNPT 2020. In Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Terorisme. Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Terorisme (BNPT). https://bnpt.go.id
Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027
Butt, S., & Lindsey, T. (2012). The Constitution of Indonesia. In The Constitution of Indonesia (1st ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781509955732
Carothers, T., & Brechenmacher, S. (2014). Closing space: Democracy and human rights support under fire. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Chaudhry, S. (2022). The Assault on Civil Society: Explaining State Crackdown on NGOs. International Organization, 76(3), 549–590. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818321000473
Christensen, T., Lægreid, P., Roness, P. G., & Røvik, K. A. (2007). Organization Theory and the Public Sector: Instrument, culture and myth. In Organization Theory and the Public Sector: Instrument, culture and myth. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203929216
Cohen, J. L., & Arato, A. (1994). Civil Society and Political Theory. MIT Press. https://books.google.co.id/books/about/Civil_Society_and_Political_Theory.html?id=gPvk-eE7t0IC&redir_esc=y
Direktorat Jenderal Administrasi Hukum Umum. (2023). Data Statistik Badan Hukum dan Organisasi Kemasyarakatan. Ditjen AHU, Kementerian Hukum dan HAM RI.
Dunn, W. N. (2012). Public Policy Analysis (5th ed.). Pearson Prentice Hall. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315663012-9
Dupuy, K., Ron, J., & Prakash, A. (2016). Hands Off My Regime! Governments’ Restrictions on Foreign Aid to Non-Governmental Organizations in Poor and Middle-Income Countries. World Development, 84, 299–311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2016.02.001
Dwi Hardianto, A., & Agung Martono, B. (2022). Peran Lembaga Swadaya Masyarakat dalam Mendorong Pemberdayaan untuk Pembangunan Masyarakat yang Berkelanjutan. Syntax Literate: Jurnal Ilmiah Indonesia, 7(9), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.36418/syntax-literate.v7i9.9380
Edwards, M. (2019). Civil Society (4th ed.). Polity Press.
Enjolras, B., & Strømsnes, K. (2018). Scandinavian civil society and the welfare state: Civic engagement in Sweden and Norway. Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 29(3), 567–582. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-018-0006-x ResearchGate+1SpringerLink
Fukuyama, F. (2004). State-Building: Governance and World Order in the 21st Century. In Foreign Affairs (Vol. 83, Issue 5). Cornell University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/20034078
Hadiwinata, B. S. (2003). The politics of NGOs in Indonesia: Developing democracy and managing a movement. In The Politics of NGOs in Indonesia: Developing Democracy and Managing a Movement. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203200124
Hadiz, V. R. (2016). Islamic populism in Indonesia and the Middle East. In Islamic Populism in Indonesia and the Middle East. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781316402382
Hefner, R. W. (2011). Civil Islam: Muslims and democratization in Indonesia. In Civil Islam: Muslims and Democratization in Indonesia. Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/3557788
Kementerian Dalam Negeri. (2023). Laporan pembinaan ormas di daerah. https://www.kemendagri.go.id
Kementerian Hukum dan HAM. (2023). Laporan evaluasi ormas. https://www.kemenkumham.go.id
Kompas. (2020). 6 Alasan Pemerintah Bubarkan dan Larang Kegiatan FPI... Kompas. https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/12/30/14545951/6-alasan-pemerintah-bubarkan-dan-larang-kegiatan-fpi?page=all
Lim, M. (2017). Freedom to hate: social media, algorithmic enclaves, and the rise of tribal nationalism in Indonesia. Critical Asian Studies, 49(3), 411–427. https://doi.org/10.1080/14672715.2017.1341188
Luhmann, N. (1995). Social systems. Stanford University Press.
Mietzner, M. (2014). Money, power, and ideology political parties in post-authoritarian Indonesia. NUS Press. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1nthsj
Mietzner, M. (2018). Fighting illiberalism with illiberalism: Islamist populism and democratic deconsolidation in Indonesia. Pacific Affairs, 91(2), 261–282. https://doi.org/10.5509/2018912261
Mujani, S., & Liddle, R. W. (2010). Personalities, parties, and voters. Journal of Democracy, 21(2), 35–49. https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.0.0160
Norris, P., & Inglehart, R. (2019). Cultural backlash: Trump, Brexit, and authoritarian populism. In Cultural Backlash: Trump, Brexit, and Authoritarian Populism. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108595841
Osborne, S. P. (2010). The New Public Governance?: Emerging perspectives on the theory and practice of public governance. In The New Public Governance?: Emerging Perspectives on the Theory and Practice of Public Governance. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203861684
Pratiko. (2005). Good governance dan governability. Jurnal Ilmu Sosial Dan Ilmu Politik, 8(3), 231–248.
Quinn, R. (2017). The clash of civilizations and the remaking of world order. In The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. Penguin Books India. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781912282180
Rahman, A., Wasistiono, S., Riyani, O., & Tahir, I. (2023). Peran organisasi masyarakat (ormas) dan lembaga swadaya masyarakat (LSM) dalam pembangunan berkelanjutan di Indonesia. Ekonomis: Journal of Economics and Business, 7(2), 1461–1471. https://doi.org/10.33087/ekonomis.v7i2.932
Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting. (2022). Sikap publik terhadap organisasi kemasyarakatan, intoleransi, dan radikalisme di Indonesia: Hasil survei nasional. SMRC.
Salamon, L. M., Sokolowski, S. W., & Haddock, M. A. (2017). Explaining civil society development: A social origins approach. In Explaining Civil Society Development: A Social Origins Approach. Johns Hopkins University Press. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2017.1414436
Saryam, T., Ragamustari, S. K., & Kurniawan, N. B. (2024). The role of civil society organizations in the formulation of Presidential Regulation Number 7 of 2021 on violent extremism in Indonesia during the period of 2020–2024. PCD Journal, 11(1), 69–106. https://doi.org/10.22146/pcd.v11i1.8974
Wahid Foundation. (2022). Kajian persepsi masyarakat terhadap ormas dan radikalisme. https://wahidfoundation.org repository.unsri.ac.id
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Rachman Kosasih, Mohammad Rizky Luthfiah Aziz, Tomy Veryanto Bawulang

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.




