Edward Aspinall and Ward Berenschot discuss their new book on Indonesia, which delves into the ways in which Indonesia's elections, and its political system writ large, have become dominated by clientelism - meaning that politicians exchange material benefits, such as cash, jobs, goods, and contracts, for political support. Based on years of fieldwork, they provide new insights into how this form of politics has become so dominant in Indonesia, and what is distinctive about the Indonesian version of clientelism. 

The Authors

Edward Aspinall is a researcher at the Australian National University in Canberra. He has authored or edited over a dozen books on Indonesian and Southeast Asian politics, including Opposing Suharto (2005) and Islam and Rebellion (2009). 

Ward Berenschot is a researcher at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV) where he specialises in local democracy, clientelism and identity politics in India and Indonesia. He is the author of Riot Politics (2011). 

Hosted by Office of International Programs at NYU Wagner, NYSEAN, and Race to Istana.