As an archipelagic country and the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, Indonesia has a long history of democracy and political struggle. Despite attracting international attention to its politics and democracy, Indonesia's democracy index has stagnated and declined over the last ten years. The pivotal 2024 election has highlighted the prevalence of the oligarchic model, dynastic politics, and rampant nepotism as indicators of this decline. Within the context of neoliberalism, democracy has thus become a realm of illusions, contending with a rising wave of populism and nepotism, while purportedly striving to provide justice and prosperity for society at all levels. This discourse examines the anomaly of populism in Indonesian politics, which fosters the establishment of political dynasties and perpetuates nepotism under the guise of democracy.

Dr. Amanah Nurish is an Assistant Professor at the University of Indonesia’s School of Strategic and Global Studies and a Fulbright scholar in Stanford’s Department of Anthropology. Her work is in religious anthropology, with a particular focus on minority religions, notably the Baha’i faith in Southeast Asia. Currently, she's involved in a project titled “Transnational Links and Political Trajectory in Contemporary Indonesia.” Her ethnographic research aims to develop an academic discourse on religious populism and transnational movements as a new landscape in contemporary Indonesia’s transformation, shaping its identity politics. Dr. Nurish revisits Geertz’s study on "the Religion of Java" in Modjokuto, East Java. She has published extensively, including books, monographs, journals, and popular articles. She can be contacted at amanah11@ui.ac.id.