Appreciation of Government Performance Increasing

BIRO PERS SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN/KRIS

President Joko Widodo talks with Vice President Ma'ruf Amin in the Jepara Room, Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Monday (9/5/2022).

Public appreciation of Cabinet performance in various fields grew by the concluding half of the term of office of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Vice President Ma’ruf Amin. This achievement strengthens the symbolic power of the government.

The increase in public appreciation of government performance is indicated by the periodic survey results of Kompas. At present, public satisfaction is expressed by more than two thirds (69.3 percent) of respondents.

Compared with the previous survey period in October 2022, the level of public satisfaction has changed. At that time, public appreciation was on the decline. Less than two thirds of respondents were satisfied with government performance and achievement.

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Therefore, this achievement indicates a turning point leading to even more positive appreciation. Even when compared with the public perception in the first half of the second term of office of Jokowi-Amin (October 2019), the rate of public satisfaction this time is among the highest.

Greater public satisfaction is apparent in all the fields reviewed. Among around 20 evaluative indicators of national problems covered, including politics, security, law enforcement, the economy and social welfare, all of them have increased, with varying achievement rates.

Among the increases, government performance in politics and security has earned the highest score. Over three quarters of respondents are satisfied. Compared with the other aspects reviewed like social welfare, the economy and law enforcement, the highest levels of appreciation are accorded to the fields of politics and security.

Despite greater appreciation as compared to the previous period, government performance in safeguarding national unity and integrity is still given public notes.

Government efforts to maintain a democratic political climate contribute most to public satisfaction. Three indicators form their basis, which are “government efforts to build the attitude of appreciating differences”, “efforts to guarantee freedom of opinion” and “public opportunities for control of government performance”.

Nevertheless, other indicators of politics and security still reveal problems. Despite greater appreciation as compared to the previous period, government performance in safeguarding national unity and integrity is still given public notes. Some efforts made, such as “to handle intergroup conflicts, prevent and deal with separatist movements”, receive low appreciation.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Labor elements who are members of the Joint Labor Movement of the People staged an action in front of the DPR Building, Senayan, Jakarta, Tuesday (10/1/2023). In this action, the workers called on the DPR not to approve the Government Regulation in lieu (perppu) on the Job Creation Law set by the president.

The survey results also reflect positive change in various problem areas that in the previous period were feared most by the public. In the law-enforcement aspect, for instance, the rate rises positively along with the satisfaction voiced by 55.1 percent of respondents. In the previous period, law enforcement listed the most significant decline with only half of respondents feeling satisfied.

A more-positive change is also shown by the economic aspect. The survey reveals that a lot more respondents are satisfied (53.5 percent).

Yet a number of problems are frequently complained about. The indicator “government efforts to control prices of daily needs and services”, for example, is questioned most. Only around 38 percent are satisfied.

Relative to respondents’ identity groups, the degree of public appreciation varies. The tendency is that the higher the socioeconomic status and education of respondents, the more critically they convey their satisfaction. Conversely, respondents with midlevel and lower education tend to express higher satisfaction. In this survey, the lower-middle group in economic and social status seems to be more satisfied.

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Another different pattern of attitudes is also apparent given the political backgrounds of respondents. For supporters of Jokowi-Amin in the 2019 general elections, for instance, no less than 80 percent are satisfied. But interestingly, even among non-supporters of Jokowi-Amin, most of them also express satisfaction.

The increased appreciation for government performance amplifies the symbolic legitimacy of the Jokowi-Amin leadership. The survey results also reveal greater public expectation for the Cabinet’s capabilities in overcoming national problems in the concluding half of its leadership. In the previous survey results, 52 percent of respondents were convinced that the government was capable of surmounting all problems. The figure has now climbed to 65.7 percent.

The survey results also reflect positive change in various problem areas that in the previous period were feared most by the public.

The more solid symbolic legitimacy also strengthens the position and political influence of President Jokowi’s government. Such symbolic-capital control is important. In the arena of competition between party powers, presidential candidates as well as regional heads, President Jokowi is a political reference.

Although the greater part of the public, as also recorded in the survey results, wants no extension of the term of office of President Jokowi, the recorded enhancement of public appreciation is a significant strength with the potential to be handed down in the succession of his leadership. (LITBANG KOMPAS)

This article was translated by Aris Prawira.