Unpacking the Effect of Decentralized Governance on Routine Violence: Lessons from Indonesia(Article)(Open Access)
- aThe Ohio State University, United States
- bWorld Bank, United States
Abstract
We study the effect of decentralization on routine violence in Indonesia. We unpack decentralization along multiple dimensions and consider the individual effects of local elections, the creation of new administrative units, fiscal transfers, and local public service delivery. We use comprehensive data from Indonesia's National Violence Monitoring System (NVMS), a new dataset that records the incidence and impact of violence in Indonesia. We use these data to examine the relationship between the different dimensions of decentralization and different types of local violence in Indonesian districts during 2001–10. Our analyses suggest that there is a positive association between local service delivery and at least some forms of violence. We argue that the positive effect of service delivery on violence is due to newly generated distributive conflicts among local ethnic groups around the control over and access to services. By comparison, district splitting and the introduction of direct elections of district heads are negatively associated with some forms of violence. There is little evidence that fiscal transfers, in general, mitigate conflict. © 2016
Indexed keywords
| GEOBASE Subject Index: | administrative systemdecentralizationelectionethnic conflictgovernance approachpublic serviceservice provisionviolence |
|---|---|
| Regional Index: | Indonesia |
Funding details
| Funding sponsor | Funding number | Acronym |
|---|---|---|
| World Bank Group See opportunities by WBG | WBG |
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1
To study the effects of decentralized governance on routine violence fairly disaggregated data is needed. Globally, high quality data on violence is rare. In the Indonesian context researchers have relied on provincial-level data collection efforts ( Varshney et al., 2008 ) or specific questionnaire items from the Indonesian Village Census (PODES) to track especially high-intensity forms of ethno-communal violence. Recent efforts by the Coordinating Ministry for People’s Welfare, with support from the Habibie Center and the World Bank, have led to the creation of the National Violence Monitoring System Indonesia (NVMS). The NVMS collects information on violent events across a selection of Indonesia’s 34 provinces. 9 9 From 1997 to 2013, year coverage varied among the following provinces: Aceh, Maluku, North Maluku, Papua, West Papua, West Kalimantan, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Central Sulawesi, West Java (partial), Banten (partial), Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Lampung and Nusa Tenggara Barat. 10 10 From 2013, the dataset has national coverage. Information is largely drawn from local newspaper sources, but supplemented by NGO reports or other reputable sources. Raw news reports are digitally archived and processed to select information on specific events that involved the use of violence. The basic entry in the data refers to a distinct violent event. The project considers incidents to be violent if: actions cause or may cause physical harm to humans or property; actions restrict physical freedom of individuals or groups; and actions are intentional. 11 11
- ISSN: 0305750X
- Source Type: Journal
- Original language: English
- DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2016.09.008
- Document Type: Article
- Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
© Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
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