This book investigates the complex socio-political consequences of decentralization and regional autonomy in Indonesia following the collapse of the Suharto regime. The authors, Maribeth Erb and Priyambudi Sulistiyanto, curate a collection of scholarly analyses that evaluate whether the shift toward local governance serves as a catalyst for national disintegration or a necessary evolution of the state. By synthesizing diverse local case studies, the volume provides a framework for understanding how administrative restructuring interacts with pre-existing ethnic, cultural, and economic tensions.

Experts identify this volume as a critical resource for understanding the granular realities of Indonesian governance during a period of significant transition. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous examination of the challenges inherent in regional autonomy.