Shifting Village Democratization within Patron–Client Relationships: Evidence from the 2022 Simultaneous Village Head Elections in Semarang Regency

Abstract

This study examines the shift in village democratization through the phenomenon of simultaneous village head elections (Pilkades) in Semarang Regency in 2022, with a particular focus on patronage relationships between village heads and the community. The research is motivated by the failure of 13 out of 24 incumbent village heads to secure re-election, indicating changes in electoral dynamics at the village level. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research was conducted in three villages—Mlilir, Banyubiru, and Bringin—that participated in the 2022 simultaneous Pilkades. Informants were selected through purposive sampling, and data were collected via interviews and documentation. Data validity was ensured through data and method triangulation, while analysis employed interactive qualitative techniques. The findings reveal that material incentives in transactional forms, such as money, goods, services, and other economic benefits, remain effective in mobilizing voter support. Conversely, non-material or spiritual sources of authority are no longer decisive factors in electoral success, as reflected in the defeat of incumbents. The study also identifies prolonged post-election conflicts involving families, relatives, and informal community leaders. Additionally, a dual pattern of patronage is evident: between village elites and voters, and between political party elites and elected village heads as rewards for prior political support. These findings highlight the persistence and transformation of patronage politics in village-level democracy.

The findings show that: First, the use of material incentives in transactional forms such as money, goods, services, and other economic benefits has proven effective in attracting voter support for village head candidates. Second, non-material or spiritual sources of power are no longer the key to electoral victory for village head candidates, as evidenced by the defeat of incumbents in the 2022 Pilkades. Third, electoral defeat in the Pilkades leaves behind prolonged conflicts involving families, relatives, and even informal community leaders who support village head candidates. Fourth, there exists a dualism of patronage relationships, namely between village elites and the community as voters, and between political party elites and elected village heads as a form of reward for their role as campaign teams in previous general or local elections.