In recent months, complaints from the public about the prices of\nbasic necessities have become increasingly common in everyday\nconversations. From traditional markets to digital spaces, the issue of\npurchasing power has once again become a major concern. The results of a\nnational survey by Poltracking Indonesia for the March 2026 period are\nparticularly noteworthy.<\/p>\n
Amid these economic pressures, the level of public satisfaction with\nPresident Prabowo Subianto\u2019s performance is recorded at 74.9%. At the\nsame time, the main issues felt by the public remain related to the high\nprices of basic necessities (28.5%) and poverty (23.6%).<\/p>\n
At first glance, this data appears contradictory. Typically, economic\npressures would directly impact a decline in public satisfaction with\nthe government. When food prices rise, job opportunities are limited,\nand household needs increase, the public usually becomes more critical.\nHowever, political reality does not always follow economic logic so\nsimply. This is where we need to read public support more\nholistically.<\/p>\n
Political scientist David Easton distinguishes public support into\ntwo forms: specific support and diffuse support. Specific support arises\nfrom satisfaction with concrete policies. Meanwhile, diffuse support is\nbased on trust in leaders, institutions, and the belief that conditions\nwill move in a better direction.<\/p>\n
Using this framework, the current high satisfaction seems to be\nlargely supported by diffuse support. Parts of the public may not be\nfully satisfied with everyday economic conditions, but they still\nbelieve that the current government is working and has a clear policy\ndirection. In the experience of many countries, such trust often becomes\nan important asset in the early phase of a government.<\/p>\n
Additionally, leadership factors cannot be ignored. Max Weber once\nexplained that political legitimacy often relies on personal authority,\nnamely when a leader is perceived to have certain qualities and is\nworthy of being followed. In the Indonesian context, President Prabowo\nappears with an image as a firm, experienced figure who prioritises\nstability. And in democracy, perception can provide tolerance and delay\nevaluation, but it cannot eliminate it.<\/p>\n
When this Poltracking Indonesia survey was released on 13 April 2026,\nPresident Prabowo\u2019s leadership had been in place for 540 days, or about\n1 year, 5 months, and 24 days. In running the government, President\nPrabowo has implemented various priority programmes expected to realise\nthe government\u2019s vision and mission.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, global geopolitical tensions have impacts\ndomestically, both directly and indirectly, and the government is\nrequired to run a stable administration amid such uncertainty. When the\npublic faces economic anxiety, the need for a sense of security usually\nintertwines. Leadership characteristics perceived as firm, brave,\nstrong, and the like tend to receive positive responses from the\npublic.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, the government also benefits from policies that\nare easy to recognise and can be felt directly by the public. For\nexample, the Free Nutritious Meals Programme (MBG) has become one of the\npolicies most frequently mentioned by the public as a programme whose\nbenefits are very tangible. Programmes like this are important not only\nsubstantively but also psychologically, because the state appears to be\npresent in the public\u2019s daily lives.<\/p>\n
Walter Lippmann\u2019s view helps explain this. Lippmann reminds us that\nthe public often judges politics not from the overall complex reality,\nbut from the tangible images present in their minds. Symbols, direct\nexperiences, and simple messages often have a stronger influence than\noverly complicated technocratic explanations.<\/p>\n
Therefore, one concrete and easily understood policy can sometimes\nhave a far greater political impact than a good but abstract\ntechnocratic policy in the eyes of the public. In modern politics, work\nalone is not enough; that work must also be visible and its benefits\nfelt tangibly by the public.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, high satisfaction levels should not be understood as a\npermanent guarantee, because this public support is dynamic. If issues\nof food prices, job opportunities, and other social inequalities do not\nimprove, public trust will gradually erode.<\/p>\n
Therefore, evaluation of priority programmes becomes very important.\nThe government needs to ensure that every programme is not only good in\ndesign but also strong in implementation and effective in communication.\nBecause in many cases, the biggest challenge is not the policy itself,\nbut how that policy can be translated within society.<\/p>\n
Of course, President Prabowo\u2019s leadership at this time is still\nconsidered to be in a transition period from the previous government,\nnamely President Joko Widodo\u2019s administration. Poltracking Indonesia\nalso recorded in its September 2024 survey release regarding the\nevaluation of the president\u2019s performance at the end of his term, the\npublic satisfaction level with President Jokowi\u2019s performance was 86.5%.\nThere is a gap of 14.6% compared to the current public satisfaction\nlevel with President Prabowo\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the main challenge for the current government is not just\nmaintaining popularity, but converting trust into real achievements.\nStability of basic necessity prices, job creation, quality of public\nservices, and certainty of economic direction will be the true measures.\nPublic trust is political capital.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/high-satisfaction-amid-economic-pressures-1777460482", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }