Electronic Theses and Dissertation

Pemilihan umum merupakan instrumen utama demokrasi untuk menyalurkan kedaulatan rakyat, namun praktik demokrasi elektoral di tingkat lokal masih kerap diwarnai oleh relasi patronase dan klientelisme. Pada Pemilu Legislatif 2024 di Kabupaten Aceh Selatan, hubungan antara calon legislatif dan pemilih tidak hanya berbasis program, tetapi juga dibentuk oleh kedekatan sosial, jaringan lokal, serta pertukaran sumber daya yang berlanjut hingga pasca pemilu. Kondisi ini menunjukkan adanya pola hubungan patron–klien yang membentuk loyalitas politik serta memengaruhi cara representasi serta distribusi manfaat politik di tingkat daerah. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pola hubungan patron- klien pasca pemilihan legislatif tahun 2024 pada dapil 1 kabupaten Aceh Selatan. Penelitian ini menggunakan teori patron-klien dan konsep klientelisme. Metode penelitian ini adalah kualititatif. Hasil ini menemukan bahwa relasi patron–klien dalam Pemilihan Legislatif 2024 di Dapil 1 Aceh Selatan terbentuk melalui empat pola utama, yaitu pertukaran sumber daya, kedekatan personal dan loyalitas, peran broker politik, serta keberlanjutan hubungan pasca pemilu. Relasi tersebut bersifat personalistik dan berjangka panjang, di mana dukungan politik dibangun dan dipelihara melalui jaringan sosial lokal, kehadiran sosial kandidat, serta pemenuhan ekspektasi timbal balik antara wakil rakyat dan masyarakat. Disamping itu, Fenomena klientelisme dalam Pemilihan Legislatif 2024 di Dapil 1
Aceh Selatan menunjukkan bahwa pertukaran politik berlangsung melalui distribusi manfaat partikularistik berupa bantuan kelompok (club goods) dan
proyek pembangunan berbasis anggaran (pork barrel projects) yang dilegitimasi secara sosial dan institusional melalui relasi patron–klien, jaringan perantara lokal, serta mekanisme formal representasi. Saran penelitian ini menegaskan agar calon legislatif dan partai politik memperkuat pendekatan programatik, sementara masyarakat meningkatkan literasi serta sikap kritis dalam menilai wakil rakyat berdasarkan rekam jejak dan dampak kebijakan.

Kata Kunci: Patron-Klien, Pemilu Legislatif, Dapil 1 Aceh Selatan.

General elections are the primary instrument of democracy for channeling popular sovereignty however, electoral democracy at the local level is still often characterized by patronage and clientelistic relations. In the 2024 Legislative Election in South Aceh Regency, the relationship between legislative candidates and voters was not based solely on programs, but was also shaped by social proximity, local networks, and resource exchanges that continued after the election. This condition indicates the presence of patron–client relationship patterns that shape political loyalty and influence modes of representation as well as the distribution of political benefits at the local level. The purpose of this study is to identify the pattern of patron-client relations after the 2024 legislative election in Electoral District (Dapil) 1 of South Aceh Regency. This study employs patron–client theory and the concept of clientelism. The research method used is qualitative. The findings show that patron-client relations in the 2024 Legislative Election in Dapil 1 South Aceh were formed through four main patterns: resource exchange, personal closeness and loyalty, the role of political brokers, and the continuity of relationships after the election. These relations are personalistic and long-term in nature, where political support is built and maintained through local social networks, candidates’ social presence, and the fulfillment of reciprocal expectations between representatives and constituents. In addition, the phenomenon of clientelism in the 2024 Legislative Election in Dapil 1 South Aceh demonstrates that political exchange operates through the distribution of particularistic benefits in the form of collective assistance (club goods) and budget-based development projects (pork barrel projects), which are socially and institutionally legitimized through patron–client relations, local intermediary networks, and formal representative mechanisms. This study recommends that legislative candidates and political parties strengthen programmatic approaches, while the public enhances political literacy and critical attitudes in evaluating representatives based on track record and policy impact. Keywords: Patron-Client, Legislative Election, South Aceh Electoral District 1.