Provincial proliferation: Vertical coalitions and the politics of territoriality in post-authoritarian Indonesia

This dissertation examines the recent phenomenon in Indonesia of provincial proliferation. Given the relatively constant number of provinces and districts during the New Order period, provincial proliferation is puzzling. The puzzle can be disaggregated into three inter-related questions: First; what explains variation over time? Second, who are the actors and what are their motivations? Third, how do these disparate actors work together to achieve their aims in creating a new province?;This study makes three arguments about the phenomenon of proliferation; First, recent national level institutional changes explain the timing of the sudden emergence of regional proliferation in Indonesia. Second, the actors for and against new province creation can be disaggregated at different levels of administration and their motivations include economic, political, identity, and security related considerations. The primary locus of support for proliferation is not uniform, and proceeds along a continuum of "bottom-up" movements and "top-down" initiatives. Finally, proponents of new province movements often cobble together "vertical coalitions" that span levels of territorial administration and create linkages between different levels. Together, this set of processes is what the dissertation calls a "vertical coalitions" framework.;This study first develops a theoretical framework to explain proliferation. It then employs a broad historical analysis at the national level to understand how it is that Indonesia is experiencing the phenomenon of provincial proliferation. Third, it conducts an in-depth qualitative comparison of three case studies, in North Sulawesi province, Riau province, and Papua province, in order to assess better the mechanisms and processes taking place.;Several theoretical implications emerge from this dissertation. First, the phenomenon of regional proliferation needs to be seen as a profoundly political process rather than a strictly administrative one. Second, the study looks beyond conventional center-periphery frameworks prevalent in the literature on regionalism. Third, the phenomenon highlights the variable processes of state building within one country. Finally, this study also has implications for the emerging literature on the local politics of Indonesia, suggesting that local politics in Indonesia is still in the process of renegotiation and transformation.