Electronic Theses and Dissertation

Kelas menengah yang selama ini dianggap pendukung demokrasi justru banyak terlibat dalam mendukung kemenangan Prabowo Subianto–Gibran Rakabuming Raka pada Pilpres 2024 melalui kampanye media sosial, influencer, dan citra “Gemoy”. Setelah pemilu, sejumlah pendukung dari kalangan artis dan influencer juga memperoleh jabatan di pemerintahan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui mekanisme keterlibatan kelas menengah secara ekonomi dalam kampanye pemenangan pasangan Prabowo Subianto–Gibran Rakabuming Raka pada Pemilihan Presiden Indonesia 2024 dan untuk mengetahui pola distribusi patronase pasca-kemenangan yang diterima oleh kelompok kelas menengah yang terlibat dalam kampanye Prabowo–Gibran. Teori yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu Teori Politik Transaksional. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa keterlibatan kelas menengah dalam kampanye pemenangan Prabowo Subianto–Gibran Rakabuming Raka berlangsung melalui kedekatan dengan kandidat sejak pembentukan tim inti kampanye, serta peran artis dan influencer sebagai penghubung antara kandidat dan pemilih. Selain itu, relawan kelas menengah non-publik turut berpartisipasi dalam mobilisasi dukungan politik, disertai terbentuknya kontrak sosial dan kepentingan antara kelas menengah dengan kandidat. Penelitian ini juga menemukan bahwa kelompok silent majority dari kelas menengah memiliki pengaruh signifikan terhadap kemenangan Prabowo–Gibran. Sementara itu, pola distribusi patronase pasca-kemenangan terlihat melalui pembentukan Kabinet Merah Putih dan perluasan jabatan pemerintahan yang dimanfaatkan sebagai bentuk balas budi politik kepada kelompok kelas menengah pendukung pasangan tersebut.

The middle class, which has long been regarded as a supporter of democracy, was significantly involved in supporting the victory of Prabowo Subianto–Gibran Rakabuming Raka in the 2024 Indonesian Presidential Election through social media campaigns, influencers, and the “Gemoy” political image. Following the election, several supporters from among artists and influencers were also appointed to positions within the government. This study aims to examine the mechanisms of economically based middle-class involvement in the campaign supporting the Prabowo Subianto–Gibran Rakabuming Raka pair during the 2024 Indonesian Presidential Election and to analyze the pattern of post-victory patronage distribution received by middle-class groups involved in the Prabowo–Gibran campaign. The study employs the Transactional Politics Theory as its analytical framework. The findings reveal that middle-class involvement in the Prabowo Subianto–Gibran Rakabuming Raka campaign was carried out through close relationships with the candidates since the formation of the core campaign team, as well as through the role of artists and influencers as intermediaries between the candidates and voters. In addition, non-public middle-class volunteers participated in mobilizing political support, accompanied by the formation of social contracts and shared interests between the middle class and the candidates. The study also finds that the silent majority within the middle class had a significant influence on the victory of Prabowo–Gibran. Meanwhile, the pattern of post-election patronage distribution was reflected in the establishment of the Red and White Cabinet and the expansion of governmental positions, which were utilized as a form of political reward for middle-class groups supporting the pair.