Peran Local Bossism Terhadap Kemenangan Partai NasDem Pada Pemilu Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah (DPRD) di Kota Sibolga Tahun 2024

Abstract

This study examines the role of local bossism in securing the NasDem Party's victory in the 2024 legislative election (DPRD) in Sibolga City. It highlights the figure of Bakhtiar Ahmad Sibarani as a central actor who combines both informal and formal power through his control over party structures, resource distribution, and extensive social networks. Utilizing John T. Sidel’s theory of local bossism as the primary analytical framework, with Joel S. Migdal’s local strongman theory as a comparative lens, the research finds that Bakhtiar’s political dominance is not merely based on symbolic capital and social relations, but is also institutionalized through formal mechanisms such as political parties and electoral systems. This study adopts a descriptive qualitative approach, employing in-depth interviews and document analysis as data collection methods. The findings reveal that Bakhtiar plays a crucial role in strengthening party structures, consolidating cadres, and managing political logistics. Moreover, he is able to generate political inequality through institutionalized patron-client practices and transactional politics within the party apparatus. Therefore, Bakhtiar's dominance reflects the characteristics of local bossism, as defined by Sidel, where personal authority is embedded within the structures of local electoral democracy.