The role of social capital in young voters participation : a comparative study of rural and urban communities in Indonesia 2024 legislative election

Abstract

This study explores how social capital influences the level of political participation among young voters in Indonesia by comparing urban and rural areas during the 2024 legislative election, notably for the House of Representative. Adopting Robert Putnam’s concepts of social capital, comprising the three measurements of trust, networks, and norms, will investigate young engagement in two contrasting regions; Central Jakarta and Serang Regency, as urban and rural representation. Although young voters in both regions show similar levels of institutional trust, the two regions have a significant gap in turnout outcome. Through qualitative fieldwork and analysis of national survey data, the study reveals that young rural people who tend to belong to the strong bonding social capital and collectivistic norms, are more likely to vote. In contrast, young urban people are embedded in bridging social capital within fragmented networks, leading to lower turnout. By integrating the tipping point theory from Kernell and Lamberson (2023), the analysis identifies how social capital conditions can either sustain or suppress voter participation. Eventually, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the regional dynamics of young political behavior in Indonesia, offering practical and theoretical insights for electoral mobilization and democratic representation in Indonesia.