Structural conditions of typical urban areas and electoral support for an Islamist party: The case of the Prosperous Justice Party in Depok Jaya and Cinangka, Depok City, Indonesia

Abstract

The Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (PKS) or Prosperous Justice Party is an Islamist
party that gained significant electoral support in Indonesia after the fall of the
New Order regime. According to several studies, this is a reflection of the
phenomenon of urban Muslim middle class as its socio-political base. However,
in several areas with similar characteristics, electoral support for PKS has been
less than impressive. The author argues that differences in structural conditions
typical of urban areas, including Islamic character, type of settlement, migration
status, presence of ethnic groups and Islamic organizations, also play a role in
determining this support. This Islamist party tends to gain significant support in
urban areas with less assertive Islamic character, with most of the population
living in housing complexes and being migrants, and ethnic grouping and
Islamic organizations not having influence in society. These conditions make
it easier for the Islamist party to gain electoral support. In urban areas where
the opposed condition occurs, the Islamist party tends to gain less significant
support.