Between strategy and genuine effort: Child symbolism and welfare for legitimacy in Indonesia’s presidential campaigns
Far beyond its innocence, children and child welfare initiatives have emerged as powerful symbols in Indonesian political campaigns. This research focuses on Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto, showing how their use of initiatives like Smart Card and Free Lunch Program projected legitimacy and garnered votes during the 2014, 2019, and 2024 elections. It uses two main methods: reflexive thematic anal
