Indonesia is a democratic republic where the President of Indonesia is both head of state and head of government. The President is elected by popular vote and serves as the chief executive, responsible for the administration of the government. The President is also the commander-in-chief of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. Once elected, the President may serve up to two five-year terms. In executing their duties, the President is assisted by a Vice President and a cabinet of ministers.

The legislative branch in Indonesia is represented by the People’s Consultative Assembly, which includes the Regional Representative Council and the People’s Representative Council. The Regional Representative Council is an assembly that provides representation for the various regions in the country and has a role in legislation and regional budgets. The People’s Representative Council, on the other hand, is a legislative body whose members are elected every five years, and is primarily responsible for making laws. Additionally, Indonesia is divided into provinces, each headed by a governor, and these provinces are subdivided into regencies and cities, which have their own local governments. This system of local government has a significant degree of autonomy under the framework of decentralization that was introduced in the wake of the political reform movement in the late 1990s.