Populism on Display: Understanding the Role of Social Assistance Programs in the 2024 Indonesian Presidential Election

Moving beyond dominant polarization narratives, this analysis presents a more nuanced account of populism and social policy in Indonesian electoral politics. Rather than treating populism as a fixed binary opposition between “the people” and “the elite,” it conceptualizes populism as contingent on political positioning and on actors’ adaptation to changing circumstances. Drawing on Instagram data, the analysis examines how online discourses and visual narratives shape public opinion and influence electoral outcomes. The findings highlight the complexity of populist politics: populist politicians do not merely rely on crude appeals to public sentiment but engage in strategic and adaptive maneuvering to build and sustain electoral support.