Reconceptualizing Civic Education based on Pancasila Ideology to Nurture a Politically Literate Citizenry in Clientelism Contexts

Abstract

This article examines how civic education, grounded in the Pancasila ideology, can be reconceptualized to nurture a politically literate citizenry in clientelist contexts. It departs from the observation that, despite the consolidation of formal democratic procedures, many citizens continue to experience politics primarily as transactional exchanges of votes, access, and material favors. Pancasila, as the Indonesian state ideology, provides a normative framework that emphasizes justice, humanity, and the public good, yet these principles are often undermined by entrenched clientelist networks. The study aims to clarify how civic education can respond to this tension by moving beyond normative, text-based instruction toward the cultivation of critical political literacy, ethical–political judgement, and non-clientelist forms of participation. Methodologically, the article adopts a qualitative, conceptual approach informed by document analysis of civic education curricula and secondary literature on clientelism, democratic citizenship, and critical pedagogy. The analysis first maps how existing civic education discourses tend to overlook informal institutions that shape everyday political behavior. It then develops a Pancasila-based conceptual model of civic education that combines structural awareness of power relations, ethical reasoning anchored in Pancasila values, and participatory learning experiences in schools and communities. The article argues that such a model can help citizens recognize the long-term costs of clientelist exchanges, evaluate them against public-interest norms, and imagine alternative practices of political engagement. The study thus contributes to debates on democratic citizenship in the Global South and offers normative and practical implications for curriculum designers, educators, and policy makers.