JOURNAL LA SOCIALE
VOL.
ISSUE 01 .
, 2025
DOI:10.
37899/journal-la-sociale.
Study on the Effectiveness of the People Representative Council in Legislation of Regional Regulations Basrah Pardomuan1.
Adam1.
Heri Kusmanto1 Master of Public Administration Study Program.
Postgraduate Program.
Universitas Medan Area.
Indonesia *Corresponding Author: Basrah Pardomuan E-mail: sekwan.
dprdlangkat@gmail.
Article Info Article history:
Received 19 November 2024 Received in revised form 9 January 2025 Accepted 20 January 2025 Keywords:
DPRD
Effectiveness Legislation Regional Regulations Langkat Regency Abstract This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) of Langkat Regency in regional regulation legislation (Perd.
during the 2019-2024 period.
The research method used is qualitative descriptive with data collection through in-depth interviews, direct observation, and document studies.
The results of the study show that the Langkat Regency DPRD has ratified a number of Regional Regulations, both initiated by the DPRD itself and proposed by the executive.
However, the effectiveness of the DPRD in legislation is still influenced by the quality of human resources, low public participation, dominance of executive roles, and political dynamics within the DPRD.
The quality of human resources and the capacity of DPRD members are obstacles in formulating Regional Regulations that are responsive to the needs of the community.
Community participation in the process of formulating the Regional Regulation is also still limited, so the aspirations of the community have not been fully accommodated.
In addition, the dominance of the executive in the submission of the Regional Regulation reduces the initiative of the DPRD in making policies.
Despite the challenges, opportunities to increase the effectiveness of the DPRD are still open through increasing human resource capacity and optimizing community With this effort, it is hoped that the Langkat Regency DPRD can produce a higher quality Regional Regulation and support regional development.
Introduction The Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) has a strategic role in local governance, especially in the functions of legislation, budget, and supervision (Santoso, 2.
The DPRD is tasked with ensuring that the policies set by the local government are in line with the aspirations of the community and are implemented in accordance with applicable rules.
One of the main tasks of the DPRD is to make regional regulations (Perd.
which are the legal basis for the implementation of local government (Sihombing & Utara, 2.
The legislative function of the DPRD is expected to be an instrument to create legal products that are relevant to regional needs (Kariem, 2.
Langkat Regency, located in North Sumatra Province, is one of the regions that is undergoing a regional regulation legislation process involving the DPRD in the 2019-2024 period.
The legislative performance of the Langkat Regency DPRD is in the spotlight, especially related to its effectiveness in initiating, formulating, and ratifying regional regulations that are beneficial to the community.
The 2019-2024 period is an important time to see the extent of the effectiveness of the Langkat Regency DPRD in carrying out its functions.
The effectiveness can be measured through the number of Regional Regulations that have been successfully passed, the quality of the Regional ISSN 2721-0960 (Prin.
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Regulations produced, and the extent to which the Regional Regulations are able to overcome the problems that exist in Lalat Regency.
In addition, the effectiveness of the DPRD can also be seen from the participation of the community in the process of drafting the Regional Regulation.
In this study, various factors that affect the effectiveness of legislation by the DPRD will be Some of these factors include the level of community participation, local government support, and the ability of DPRD members to understand regional needs.
This study will also discuss how political and social dynamics in Langkat Regency also affect the legislation process carried out by the DPRD.
In addition, this study aims to provide a more comprehensive picture of the performance of the DPRD in regional regulation legislation, including the challenges faced and the opportunities that exist to improve the quality of legislation.
The role of the DPRD in encouraging policies that are in favor of the community can be the key to realizing sustainable development in Langkat Regency.
Along with the social and economic changes that occur in Langkat Regency, the need for adaptive and responsive regional regulations is increasing.
The DPRD is expected to be able to accommodate these changes through an effective legislation function.
Thus, this study will focus on how the Langkat Regency DPRD can increase its effectiveness in regional regulation legislation that can have a positive impact on the community.
Table 1.
Number of Regional Regulations Successfully Passed by the Langkat Regency DPRD in the 2019-2024 Period Year Number of Regional Regulations Passed 7 .
ntil Augus.
Regional Regulation on DPRD Initiative Executive Proposed Regional Regulation The table above shows the dynamics of the number of Regional Regulations passed during the 2019-2024 period, including the division between Regional Regulations which are DPRD initiatives and Regional Regulations proposed by the executive.
From this data, it can be seen that there is a fluctuation in the number of Regional Regulations that are passed every year.
This can be an indicator to evaluate how active the DPRD is in carrying out its legislative The Langkat Regency DPRD has the authority to initiate regulations that are considered important and urgent for the benefit of the region.
However, the number of initiative Regional Regulations is often less than the executive proposed Regional Regulations.
This indicates that there are challenges in developing initiatives from the DPRD itself, which can be caused by various factors such as limited resources, the capacity of DPRD members, and political dynamics within the DPRD.
On the other hand, the number of executive proposed Regional Regulations that have been passed shows that the local government of Langkat Regency has a dominant role in the legislation process.
These regional regulations are often part of the strategic policies of local governments that require legal support from the DPRD.
Therefore, the DPRD has a role to ISSN 2721-0960 (Prin.
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critically examine each of these proposals in order to produce quality regulations (Iskandar.
The role of the DPRD as a legislator should ideally not only approve the Regional Regulations proposed by the local government, but also ensure that the substance of each Regional Regulation is really in accordance with the needs of the community and supports regional development (Hapsari & Wisnaeni, 2.
This is where the importance of this study is to evaluate how much the DPRD contributes in fighting for people's aspirations through legislation products.
Through this study, it is hoped that a better understanding of the legislation mechanism in the Langkat Regency DPRD and how the role of the DPRD can be improved.
It is hoped that the results of this study can be an evaluation material for the DPRD in improving its performance in the future, as well as a reference for related parties in designing better policies.
An effective legislative process at the local level will help ensure that the resulting policies not only have legal force but are also relevant to local needs (Riskiyono, 2.
This is important to create policies that are able to answer development challenges in Langkat Regency and encourage community welfare in a sustainable manner.
Thus, the study on the effectiveness of the DPRD in the legislation of the Regional Regulation in Langkat Regency is expected to make a meaningful contribution in efforts to improve the quality of local governance, especially in the aspect of legislation which is one of the keys to creating good governance.
Methods The approach used in this study is a qualitative approach with the aim of obtaining a deep understanding of the effectiveness of the Langkat Regency DPRD in carrying out the function of regional regulation legislation (Perd.
during the 2019-2024 period.
This approach was chosen because it can delve deeper into various factors that affect the effectiveness of legislation and provide a comprehensive picture of political, social, and institutional dynamics in the legislation process in the DPRD.
Type of Research This research is a type of descriptive-analytical research (Sugiyono, 2.
It is descriptive because it describes the factual conditions regarding the number and type of Regional Regulations that have been passed, the legislation process, and the role of the DPRD in the legislation of the Regional Regulations.
Meanwhile, it is analytical because it seeks to analyze factors that affect the effectiveness of legislation, such as the quality of DPRD human resources, community participation, and political dynamics in Langkat Regency.
Location and Time of Research The location of this research was carried out in Langkat Regency.
North Sumatra, with a focus on legislation activities carried out by the Langkat Regency DPRD.
This research was carried out for 3 months, starting from data collection to the preparation of research reports.
Data Source The data used in this study consists of: .
Primary Data: Obtained through indepth interviews with members of the Langkat Regency DPRD.
DPRD secretariat staff, and several related parties such as academics, civil society activists, and community leaders involved in the legislation process.
Secondary Data: Includes official documents such as Regional Regulations (Perd.
passed during the 2019-2024 period, plenary meeting notes, minutes of the discussion of the Regional Regulation, and DPRD performance reports.
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Journal La Sociale.
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Secondary data was also obtained from related literature and media reports that discussed the legislation process in the Langkat Regency DPRD (Miles & Huberman, 1.
Data Collection Techniques Data were collected using the following techniques (Jogiyanto Hartono, 2.
: .
In-Depth Interview: Conducted with the Chairman of the DPRD, the Chairman of the Bapemdperda, the Head of the Legal Section of the Regional Secretariat, and the Head of the Trial and Legislation Section.
This interview aims to explore their perceptions regarding the effectiveness of the DPRD in legislation and understand the factors that affect the legislation process.
Observation: The researcher made direct observations on DPRD activities such as plenary sessions and commission meetings related to the discussion of the Regional Regulation.
This observation aims to see how the discussion process of the Regional Regulation takes place.
Document Study: Through the analysis of various documents such as Regional Regulations, meeting minutes, and annual reports of the DPRD.
The study of this document aims to understand the legislation process in more detail and evaluate the legal products produced by the DPRD.
Data Analysis Techniques The collected data was analyzed using descriptive qualitative analysis, which involved several steps as follows (Moleong, 2.
: .
Data Reduction: Simplify and focus data from interviews, observations, and document studies that are considered relevant to the research objectives.
Data Presentation: Presenting data in the form of narratives and tables to facilitate understanding of the number of Regional Regulations passed, as well as describing the legislation process carried out by the DPRD.
Drawing Conclusions and Verification:
Drawing conclusions based on the results of the analysis and verifying the data to ensure that the results obtained are accurate and in accordance with the existing reality.
Data Validity To ensure the validity of the data, this study uses data triangulation, which is comparing data from various different sources .
nterviews, observations, and document.
to obtain consistent Triangulation is carried out to increase the validity and reliability of research results, so that the conclusions drawn can be accounted for.
Results and Discussion Legislation Process in the Langkat Regency DPRD Based on the results of observations and interviews, the legislation process in the Langkat Regency DPRD generally follows the stages that have been regulated in the laws and These stages include the submission of regional regulation proposals, discussions at the commission level, plenary meetings, and the ratification of regional regulations.
Interviews with several members of the DPRD revealed that the role of the commission in the discussion of the Regional Regulation is very important, especially in examining the substance and relevance of the proposed Regional Regulation.
However, some informants stated that the process of discussing the Regional Regulation often encountered obstacles, especially related to the alignment of views between the DPRD and the local government.
This obstacle often occurs at the discussion stage at the commission level, where there is a lengthy debate about the substance of the proposed regulation.
Factors Affecting the Effectiveness of Legislation Based on the results of interviews and document analysis, several factors were found that affect the effectiveness of the Langkat Regency DPRD in carrying out the legislative function:
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Quality of DPRD Human Resources (HR): The capacity of DPRD members in understanding the substance of regulations is one of the important factors that affect the quality of the Regional Regulations produced.
Most of the informants mentioned that there is a need to increase the capacity of DPRD members in terms of legal and regulatory analysis.
Community Participation: Community participation in the process of drafting Regional Regulations is still considered low.
Some members of the DPRD admitted that community involvement is often limited to the socialization stage after the Regional Regulation is passed, not at the initial formulation stage.
This has an impact on the lack of community aspirations that are accommodated in the substance of the Regional Regulation.
Executive Support: The local government of Langkat Regency often dominates in the submission of regional regulation proposals, and this shows a large role of the executive in the legislation process.
Although this can speed up the legislative process, some members of the DPRD feel that executive dominance can reduce the DPRD's initiative in formulating a more aspirational Regional Regulation.
Political Dynamics in the DPRD: Political dynamics within the DPRD, such as differences of views between factions, also affect the effectiveness of legislation.
Some informants revealed that differences in political views often lead to lengthy debates in the discussion of the Regional Regulation, which can ultimately slow down the ratification process.
Challenges in the Legislation Process The results of the interview revealed several main challenges faced by the Langkat Regency DPRD in the legislation process, including:
Budget and Facility Limitations: Some members of the DPRD stated that budget limitations are often an obstacle in conducting comparative studies and consultations related to the preparation of Regional Regulations.
This has an impact on the limited references used in the preparation of the Regional Regulation.
Lack of Alignment between the DPRD and the Executive: There are several cases where the proposed Regional Regulation from the executive is not fully in accordance with the priorities desired by the DPRD.
This often leads to a time-consuming harmonization process, thus slowing down the ratification of the Regional Regulation.
Lack of Participation from the Community and Academics: The involvement of academics and community leaders in providing input to the Regional Regulation being discussed is often less than optimal.
This has an impact on the lack of diverse perspectives in formulating regional Opportunities to Increase the Effectiveness of Legislation Despite facing various challenges, there are also several opportunities that can be taken advantage of by the Langkat Regency DPRD to increase the effectiveness of legislation:
Cooperation with Academics and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO.
: By increasing cooperation with academics and NGOs, the DPRD can obtain more comprehensive input regarding the substance of the Regional Regulation formulated.
Several members of the DPRD revealed that input from external parties can help enrich perspectives in the preparation of the Regional Regulation.
Capacity Building Through Training: Some members of the DPRD stated that training related to policy and regulation making can help them to better understand the technical aspects of This can improve the quality of the Regional Regulations produced.
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Optimizing Community Participation: The DPRD can utilize information technology, such as social media and digital platforms, to gather input from the public regarding the draft Regional Regulation.
This can help increase community involvement in the legislation process.
The Impact of the Regional Regulation on the Community The results of observations and interviews also show that not all regional regulations that have been passed have a direct impact on improving people's welfare.
Some technical Regional Regulations, such as regional levies and regional asset management, are considered to focus more on the interests of local governments.
However, there are also Regional Regulations that are considered beneficial to the community, such as the Regional Regulation on waste management and the Regional Regulation on the protection of local workers.
Evaluation of Regional Regulations.
Initiatives, and Executive Proposals Based on the analysis of the document, it can be seen that the Regional Regulations proposed by the executive tend to be passed more than the Regional Regulations initiated by the DPRD.
Interviews with DPRD members revealed that the process of submitting initiative regional regulations often takes longer because they have to go through a longer consultation process.
However, the Regional Regulation initiated by the DPRD often has a substance that is closer to the aspirations of the community.
Based on the results of the research on the effectiveness of the Langkat Regency DPRD in the process of legislating regional regulations (Perd.
during the 2019-2024 period, it can be seen that the DPRD has an important role in the legislation process at the regional level, although its effectiveness is influenced by a number of factors.
This discussion will relate the results of the research to the theory of legislation, the role of the legislature, and the findings of relevant previous research.
The Role of DPRD Legislation and Its Effectiveness In local government theory, the function of legislation is one of the main pillars of the DPRD's This function gives authority to the DPRD to form regional regulations that support the implementation of government at the local level (Anam & Anwar, 2.
The results of the study show that the Langkat Regency DPRD during the 2019-2024 period has ratified a number of Regional Regulations, both initiated by itself and those originating from executive proposals.
According to (Loda et al.
, 2.
, the effectiveness of the DPRD in carrying out the legislative function can be measured through the number of Regional Regulations produced and the quality of the regulations.
This finding is in line with the results of the study, where the number of Regional Regulations passed each year shows fluctuations influenced by factors such as political dynamics within the DPRD and the capacity of DPRD members (Ali, 2.
For example, in 2021 there was an increase in the number of Regional Regulations passed, due to legislative priorities that focused more on strategic issues, such as natural resource management and social welfare.
However, the dominance of the Regional Regulation that comes from the executive proposal compared to the Regional Regulation initiated by the DPRD shows that there is a dependence on the executive in the legislation process.
This phenomenon refers to the view of Rasyid .
, who emphasized that in many local governments in Indonesia, the role of the executive is often more dominant in determining the direction of policy than the legislature (Harjudin & Ridwan, 2.
This indicates that although the DPRD has a legislative function, the implementation of its role does not always run optimally, especially in terms of legislative ISSN 2721-0960 (Prin.
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The Quality of Human Resources (HR) of the DPRD and Its Linkage with the Legislation Process The quality of human resources (HR) is a key factor in determining legislative effectiveness (Rachmad et al.
, 2.
(Wahyuningsih & Sakti, 2.
stated that the competence and capacity of DPRD members greatly affect their ability to analyze regional needs and formulate quality Regional Regulations.
The results of the study show that the quality of human resources of the Langkat Regency DPRD is one of the obstacles in carrying out the legislative function.
Some members of the DPRD admitted that their limited knowledge of the substance of regulations and policy analysis hindered efforts to propose a regional regulation initiative.
This condition is relevant to the theory of increasing legislative capacity put forward by Grindle and Thomas in (Yarsina, 2.
, which states that improving the quality of human resources through training and continuing education can increase the effectiveness of legislation.
With adequate training.
DPRD members can be better able to initiate Regional Regulations that are not only based on local government proposals but also fight for the aspirations of the community.
Therefore, increasing the capacity of human resources in the Langkat Regency DPRD can be a solution to overcome existing limitations.
Community Participation in the Legislation Process The theory of political participation emphasizes the importance of community involvement in every policy-making process, including in the preparation of regional regulations.
(Arnstein, 1.
in his theory of the "Ladder of Citizen Participation" classifies the level of community participation, from mere information to joint decision-making.
The results of the study show that community participation in the legislation process in the Langkat Regency DPRD is still at a low level, where the community is more involved in the socialization stage after the Regional Regulation is passed than at the formulation stage.
This research is in line with the findings (Riskiyono, 2.
which states that in many regions in Indonesia, community involvement in the legislation process is often a formality, so that people's aspirations are not fully accommodated in the substance of the Regional Regulation.
This low participation also affects the lack of sustainability of the resulting policies, because Regional Regulations that are drafted without considering input from the community tend to be ineffective in solving problems in the field.
The Langkat Regency DPRD actually has the opportunity to increase community participation by utilizing information technology, such as social media and digital This is in accordance with research conducted by (Satria, 2.
, which shows that the use of digital technology can increase public involvement in the public policy-making Optimizing the use of digital media to capture public input can increase the legitimacy of the Regional Regulation prepared by the DPRD.
Executive Dominance in Proposed Regional Regulations The dominance of the executive in the legislation process in Langkat Regency shows that there is an imbalance in the role between the DPRD and the local government.
According to (Santika, 2.
, in Indonesia's local government system, the executive often controls policy proposals, while the legislature acts as a ratifier.
This finding can be seen in a study in Lalat Regency, where the number of Regional Regulations that come from executive proposals is more than the Regional Regulations initiated by the DPRD.
This dominance can be a challenge for the DPRD to be more proactive in fighting for the aspirations of the community through the initiative Regional Regulation.
However, on the other hand, this dominance also provides an opportunity for the DPRD to carry out stricter supervision of the Regional Regulations proposed by the executive.
According to the theory of checks and balances, the role of the ISSN 2721-0960 (Prin.
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DPRD in supervising the substance of the Regional Regulation proposed by the executive is very important to ensure that every policy passed is truly beneficial to the community.
Political Dynamics in the DPRD Internal The results of the study show that political dynamics within the DPRD, especially differences of views between factions, are often a factor that slows down the process of ratifying the Regional Regulation.
This is in accordance with research conducted by (Ramadhan, 2.
, which reveals that differences in political interests within the DPRD can affect the legislation process, especially in determining policy priorities to be discussed.
In Lalat Regency, this difference of views often causes the process of discussing the Regional Regulation at the commission level to run longer than it should.
However, this political dynamic can also be seen as a form of deliberative democracy, where debate and discussion are expected to produce a higher quality Regional Regulation.
This is in accordance with the opinion (Fishkin, 2.
which states that healthy deliberation within the legislature can produce decisions that are more representative of the public interest.
Thus, although political dynamics can slow down the legislation process, it also provides an opportunity for the DPRD to conduct a more in-depth study of the substance of the Regional Regulation.
Conclusion This study examines the effectiveness of the Langkat Regency DPRD in the process of legislating regional regulations (Perd.
during the 2019-2024 period, and the results show that the effectiveness is influenced by a number of interrelated factors.
In general, the Langkat Regency DPRD is able to carry out its legislative function by passing a number of Regional Regulations every year, both from the DPRD's own initiative and from executive proposals.
However, there are several obstacles that hinder the optimization of the role of the DPRD, such as the quality of human resources (HR), low public participation, dominance of executive roles, and political dynamics within the DPRD.
The quality of DPRD human resources is the main challenge in the legislation process.
The capacity of DPRD members in understanding the substance of regulations and policy analysis is often an obstacle in producing quality Regional Regulations.
Capacity building through training and continuing education can be a solution to overcome this problem, so that DPRD members are better able to initiate Regional Regulations that are in accordance with the needs of the community.
This is in line with the theory of increasing legislative capacity which emphasizes the importance of quality of human resources in increasing the effectiveness of Community participation in the process of drafting the Regional Regulation is still relatively low, where the community is more often involved in the socialization stage after the Regional Regulation is ratified than at the formulation stage.
In fact, the active participation of the community can increase the legitimacy and quality of the Regional Regulation produced.
For this reason, optimizing the use of information technology such as social media and digital platforms can be a strategy to increase public involvement in the legislation process.
On the other hand, the dominance of the executive in the process of proposing the Regional Regulation shows that there is an imbalance in the role between the DPRD and the local Although this can speed up the ratification process, this dominance can reduce the DPRD's initiative in formulating policies that are more aspirational and in accordance with the needs of the community.
For this reason, it is necessary to make efforts from the DPRD to be more proactive in supervising and perfecting the Regional Regulation proposals submitted by the executive, so that the resulting policies are more responsive to the needs of the ISSN 2721-0960 (Prin.
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Political dynamics within the DPRD, such as differences of views between factions, also affect the process of discussing the Regional Regulation.
Although this dynamic can slow down the ratification process, the debate that occurs in the DPRD can actually be seen as a form of deliberative democracy that aims to produce a higher quality Regional Regulation.
With good management, political dynamics can be a mechanism to sharpen the substance of policies before they are passed.
Overall, the effectiveness of the Langkat Regency DPRD in the legislation of the Regional Regulation shows that there is a significant effort from the DPRD in carrying out its role, although various challenges still have to be faced.
To increase this effectiveness, efforts are needed to increase the capacity of DPRD members, strengthen community participation, and increase harmonious cooperation between the DPRD and local governments.
By overcoming these various challenges, it is hoped that the Langkat Regency DPRD can produce a regional regulation that is of higher quality and useful for the community, as well as support more sustainable regional development.
References