Does Institutional Activism Strengthen Democracy? A Case Study of Agrarian and AntiCorruption Movements in Indonesia

This article discusses institutional activism—the practice in which activists take up formal positions within state institutions in order to advance the cause of their social movement—and whether it can deepen democracy. In this study, democracy refers to popular control, or the extent to which the public can exert control over public affairs. The article contributes to the literature by problematizing the extent to which institutional activists can advance their causes through state channels. It does so by investigating the practice of institutional activism in Indonesia’s agrarian reform and anti-corruption movements. The findings suggest that institutional activists have limited political capacity to transform their movement’s agenda into government policies. They fail to represent the broad and diverse interests of social movements and mobilize popular support, thus rendering institutional activism an inadequate strategy to enhance popular control or strengthen democracy. © 2023, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute. All rights reserved.