How Government Reclaims Power in The Dynamics of Jakarta Bay Reclamation

<ns5:p>Background Existing discourse on oligarchy tends to focus on the sustainability of oligarchic domination within economic and political structures. However, studies of elites and oligarchies suggest that the relationship between oligarchs and the state can evolve alongside political contexts and shifts in power. This suggests that oligarchic domination is not permanent. However, research into the relationship between oligarchs and the state remains limited, particularly in terms of state resistance to oligarchic domination, as demonstrated by the Jakarta Bay reclamation phenomenon in Indonesia. This project proves that oligarchy is formed through government policy and operates within state institutions, meaning its relationship with the government can change depending on the state’s actions and political decisions. Therefore, this study aims to examine how the government reclaims authority from oligarchs and identify the factors influencing this process. Methods This research is based on qualitative methods and a case study approach. It uses policy document analysis, public archives, court decisions, media reports and interviews with key figures involved in Jakarta Bay reclamation during the terms of Governors for the 2014–2017 period and 2017–2022 period. Thematic analysis techniques were employed for data analysis, involving open coding and categorization stages. Results This study reveals two important findings. First, the government employed two instruments to reclaiming authority from the oligarchs domination by regulatory intervention and political repositioning. Second, the effectiveness of these instruments was conditioned by three factors: intra-elite conflicts; the reinforcement of resistance through the role of democratic institutions; and electoral politics. Conclusions The findings and conceptual framework developed in this study contribute to the literature on oligarchy, particularly in Indonesia. While previous studies have tended to adopt a perspective of capital domination and weak institutions, this study demonstrates that the state possesses a capacity for resistance, albeit limited, with significant potential.</ns5:p>