This course examines the politics and political economy of Indonesia, the world's third largest democracy and emerging Asian power. It introduces students to critical historical events and figures of the post-independence period (1945-), then moves on to examine specific topics in the development of contemporary Indonesia—including authoritarianism and democracy, the role of the military in politics, Islamic movements, the environment and natural resource politics, corruption and clientelism, and identity politics. Students will learn the different scholarly interpretations and debates about these themes, and in doing so will engage with some of the major ideas and concepts from political science and political economy.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Demonstrate a strong grasp of the main events, issues figures and organisations that have shaped Indonesian political and social life post independence.
- Demonstrate a strong grasp of Indonesia’s contemporary socio-political challenges and their antecedents.
- Understand the major scholarly approaches to the study of Indonesia.
- Critically engage with primary and secondary source materials, both historical and contemporary.
- Communicate effectively and analytically in both verbal and written forms.
Other Information
This is a co-taught course. Any cap on enrolments in one course applies to both courses combined.
Indicative Assessment
- Tutorial Participation (10) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Critical Book Review (1000 words) (20) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Research Essay (4000 words) (40) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Exam (1000 words) (30) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The total workload is 130 hours for a 6-unit course, including time spent in scheduled classes and independent study.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Robert Cribb and Colin Brown, Modern Indonesia: A History since 1945, Longman, Harlow, 1996
Ken Setiawan and Dirk Tomas, Politics in Contemporary Indonesia: Institutional Change, Policy Challenges and Democratic Decline. Routledge, 2022.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $4680 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $6720 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9081 | 21 Jul 2025 | 28 Jul 2025 | 31 Aug 2025 | 24 Oct 2025 | In Person | N/A |