The biggest challenge for the incoming administration is to restore trust between stakeholders. An early step toward achieving this must be seen in the composition of the Cabinet.
By
Yudi Latif
·4 minutes read
The biggest challenge for the incoming administration is to restore trust between stakeholders.
An early step toward achieving this must be seen in the composition of the Cabinet. Choosing trustworthy figures with good reputations can trigger a chain reaction in restoring trust in the various levels and dimensions of public life. At a time of crisis of confidence, the quality of a person’s integrity is often prioritized over his or her technical capabilities.
Afterward, a deeper understanding is required that crisis confidence in our state politics occur as a byproduct of explosion of freedom that is not positively and productively managed. The tidal wave of freedom in the Reform Era should be accompanied by law enforcement. St Augustine had warned us from the past that law enforcement should precede freedom and justice; as, what is the meaning of rights if we live continuously in terror?
We also need a strong society, as tyranny will reign when the state is strong and society is weak.
Positive and productive freedom requires a balance between state power and people power. Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson in The Narrow Corridor (2019) portray that a healthy living space of freedom exists in a narrow corridor between a strong state that resonates with a strong society.
We need a strong state (leviathan), as anarchy will reign when the state is weak and society is strong. We also need a strong society, as tyranny will reign when the state is strong and society is weak. In other words, a division of roles, cooperation and the ability of the state and the people to control each other are necessary to develop positive-productive freedom.
A strong state must not lead to a dominant state (despotic leviathan). State power must remain within control (shackled leviathan). First and foremost, there has to be a checks and balances between the various powers in a state.
What we have to be cautious of is the presence of what we call “the Gilgamesh problem”. The mythical hero Gilgamesh is the king of the Uruk in Mesopotamia, famed for gloriously developing his country. However, all of his majestic development projects were carried out in a despotic leadership, striking fear and sorrow among his people.
In their despair, the oppressed people prayed to “the God in the sky” for help. The prayers were answered through the creation of a rival figure named Enkidu, who could hopefully create checks and balances.
In the beginning, the scenario rolled out as expected, with Enkidu opposing Gilgamesh’s tyranny. However, later in the story, Gilgamesh embraced Enkidu and both conspired to dominate the state by taking out their political opponents. Not long after, people lost their freedom.
The people must build their own capabilities to control the government’s policies and behaviors.
To prevent the Gilgamesh problem, the people cannot rely only on the checks and balances mechanism between state powers. The people must build their own capabilities to control the government’s policies and behaviors.
To strengthen the people, first citizens must be freed from the “cage of norms”, namely customary or religious norms that repress human rights with a dehumanization effect. Second, people freed from this “cage of norms” must be actively involved in public affairs with the ability to articulate their aspirations and organize said aspirations in a collective movement. Third, in this collective movement, societal powers must not be deceived by divisive sentiments of identity differences but must instead be focused on core issues that weaken and harm them as a whole.
Healthy state power can be achieved when democracy strengthens the state’s capacity to enforce law, curb violence, boost meritocracy, eradicate corruption and clientelism, broaden the acceptance of a national identity, advance people’s welfare and provide better public facilities and services.
Healthy society power can be achieved when democracy can strengthen society’s capacity in freeing the people from the shackles of feudalism and tribalism, foster citizenship culture, broaden cross-cultural communication, develop multicultural cooperation in the effort to achieve justice and general welfare and strengthen social capital through expanding social movements’ networks of connectivity and inclusivity to fight for the public and control the government.
Only through strengthening the capacity of the state and the society can we restore mutual trust. As mutual trust is restored, social interaction and cooperation between stakeholders in national life can be developed. This way, state institutions can be more credible and capable in resolving conflicts in a society. If this healthy relationship can be maintained effectively and sustainably, added values in the form of social order, creativity, productivity, collective welfare and collective happiness can be created.
Thus, what is more important in democracy is not the procedures to elect administrations but instead how the elected administrations chooses to make the order of democracy healthier. The government is too costly in terms of finance or even human lives. It is high time for redemption!