Perbandingan Idealisme dan Pragmatisme Politik pada Calon Bupati dan Wakil Bupati Mandailing Natal Tahun 2020 Studi Kasus Panyabungan Kota

Abstract

This study examines the tension between political idealism and political pragmatism in the 2020 Mandailing Natal Regent and Vice-Regent Election, with a specific focus on Panyabungan Kota District as a locus of local democratic practice. The research addresses the question of how far idealistic political values—such as honesty, justice, and rational civic participation—are realized within the dynamics of local electoral politics. Employing a qualitative approach with a case study design, the study draws on in-depth interviews with election administrators, political party actors, and local residents, complemented by documentary analysis. The findings reveal that the electoral process was largely shaped by political pragmatism, manifested through the persistence of money politics, transactional voter behavior, and limited political awareness among segments of the electorate. These conditions indicate a substantive shift from value-oriented political engagement toward short-term, interest-driven calculations. The study argues that such dominance of pragmatism not only marginalizes political idealism but also undermines the quality of substantive local democracy. Consequently, the article underscores the urgency of strengthening political ethics and civic education as foundational elements for revitalizing democratic practices at the local level.