Indonesian development politics are to a large extent a function of nation-building in a culturally and ethnically fragmented society. Since its independence in 1949 Indonesia had always development plans in effect but only the New Order regime of General Soeharto implemented them reasonably consistently. The New Order assigned highest priority to economic development, nation-building, stability and equity as mutual conditioning goals. Within the highly centralized and military dominated political system, the decision-making processes are elite centered, equally encompassing the top-down directed development planning process. A new and fairly open development discussion deals with the quality and political effects of economic development and the modernization of the political system.
