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Access to Land and Tenancy Practices on Tanah Bengkok: Evidence from Java, Indonesia

Author

Listed:
  • Kurosaki, Takashi

    (Hitotsubashi University)

  • Paul, Saumik

    (Newcastle University)

  • Witoelar, Firman

    (Australian National University)

Abstract

Tanah bengkok (bengkok land) in Java, Indonesia boasts a unique institution where elected village leaders receive usufruct rights to a parcel of land owned by the village, in lieu of salary. Despite its relevance to the political economy of land distribution in Java, unavailability of systematic data has so far constrained in-depth empirical research on bengkok land. In 2018, we conducted a survey covering 130 villages and more than 1,800 households in Java. We found substantial heterogeneity in the incidence and use patterns of bengkok land across villages. Fixed rental tenancy appeared more prevalent than sharecropping on bengkok land and bengkok landlords seldom got involved in tenants' farming decisions, which made bengkok land management look more 'business-like'. Finally, evidence is consistent with political cycles as the village heads with reelection motives offered sharecropping contracts to non-relatives to garner a larger pool of supporters.

Suggested Citation

  • Kurosaki, Takashi & Paul, Saumik & Witoelar, Firman, 2020. "Access to Land and Tenancy Practices on Tanah Bengkok: Evidence from Java, Indonesia," IZA Discussion Papers 13597, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp13597
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Blane D. Lewis, 2015. "Decentralising to Villages in Indonesia: Money (and Other) Mistakes," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 35(5), pages 347-359, December.
    2. Monica Martinez‐Bravo & Priya Mukherjee & Andreas Stegmann, 2017. "The Non‐Democratic Roots of Elite Capture: Evidence From Soeharto Mayors in Indonesia," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 85(6), pages 1991-2010, November.
    3. Otsuka, Keijiro, 2007. "Efficiency and Equity Effects of Land Markets," Handbook of Agricultural Economics, in: Robert Evenson & Prabhu Pingali (ed.), Handbook of Agricultural Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 51, pages 2671-2703, Elsevier.
    4. Monica Martinez-Bravo, 2014. "The Role of Local Officials in New Democracies: Evidence from Indonesia," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(4), pages 1244-1287, April.
    5. Melissa Dell & Benjamin A Olken, 2020. "The Development Effects of the Extractive Colonial Economy: The Dutch Cultivation System in Java," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 87(1), pages 164-203.
    6. Hans Antlov, 2003. "Village Government And Rural Development In Indonesia: The New Democratic Framework," Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(2), pages 193-214.
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    Cited by:

    1. Takashi Kurosaki & Saumik Paul & Firman Witoelar, 2021. "Out of communal land: Clientelism through delegation of agricultural tenancy contracts," Departmental Working Papers 2021-20, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tanah bengkok; land tenancy; village administration; political cycle; Java; Indonesia;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism
    • H83 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - Public Administration
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • P14 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Property Rights
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East
    • Q15 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Land Ownership and Tenure; Land Reform; Land Use; Irrigation; Agriculture and Environment

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