Understanding political knowledge and behavior among isolated communities in Aceh Province

Several surveys have successfully revealed the political knowledge index of the general population, but these studies are very limited. In fact, there has been no specific research in Indonesia that focuses on the political knowledge index of indigenous or tribal communities. This study aims to measure the political knowledge index and describe the political behavior of isolated communities in Aceh Province. The political knowledge variables used in this research include: (1) democracy, (2) power, (3) distribution and allocation, (4) decision-making, and (5) public policy. Meanwhile, the political behavior variables consist of radical behavior, moderate behavior, conservative behavior, traditional behavior (status quo), and liberal behavior. Based on its objectives, this research is classified as qualitative with an ethnographic approach. Data collection was conducted through surveys and in-depth interviews. The findings indicate that the community’s understanding of democracy, power, distribution and allocation, decision-making, and public policy is primarily associated with elections and political parties. As a result, their political participation occurs mainly during elections, and their voting decisions heavily depend on the mobilization efforts carried out by local actors such as village heads, sub-district chiefs, and district-level officials.