Political Communication Analysis: The West Sulawesi DPRD's Approach in Absorbing the Aspirations of Constituents in the Constituency

Abstract

This study examines the political communication strategies of West Sulawesi Provincial DPRD members in absorbing people's aspirations during recess activities, using the Contingency Theory framework. This theory emphasizes that the effectiveness of an organization depends on the leader's ability to adapt strategies to specific conditions. With a qualitative descriptive method, this study explores communication strategies applied in diverse social and cultural contexts.

Introduction: Political communication has an essential role in forming an accountable, participatory, and responsive government to public needs. The DPRD, as a legislative institution, functions as a representative of the people in fighting for their aspirations through policymaking.  In this context, political communication not only functions as a means of disseminating information, but also as a medium of interaction that allows public participation in the democratic process and policy decision-making. Contingency Theory provides a relevant conceptual framework for understanding the success of political communication strategies

Objectives: The purpose of this study is in accordance with the formulation of the problem that has been stated previously, namely Knowing How the Political Communication Strategy of Members of the West Sulawesi Provincial DPRD in absorbing Community Aspirations. Knowing how to solve the obstacles encountered by Members of the West Sulawesi Provincial Parliament in absorbing Community Aspirations.

Methods: This research uses a qualitative descriptive method, which is an approach that aims to describe systematically, factually, and accurately the facts and characteristics of the population or research subject. The qualitative descriptive method was chosen to study social phenomena in depth with a focus on answering research questions such as who, what, where, and how an event or experience occurred. Thus, this approach allows researchers to analyze phenomena in detail and find patterns that arise from the observed events.

Results: The political communication strategy applied by the Members of the West Sulawesi Provincial Parliament in absorbing the aspirations of the community during recess activities is based on the principle of Contingency Theory. (Suntara & Hijran, 2023) according to this theory, the successful management of an organization depends on the leader's ability to analyze and adjust strategies based on the specific situation at hand. In the context of political communication, this theory teaches that there is no one strategy that is suitable for all situations. Members of the West Sulawesi DPRD must consider several main factors when conducting a recess, including the social and cultural context of the community, relevant issues, and the level of community education

Conclusions: The conclusion of this study shows that the political communication strategy implemented by members of the West Sulawesi Provincial Parliament during recess activities is based on the principles of Contingency Theory. According to this theory, the effectiveness of leadership and the success of an organization depend heavily on the leader's ability to adapt strategies to the specific conditions faced. Members of the West Sulawesi DPRD managed to adapt their approach by taking into account factors such as socio-cultural context, relevant local issues, as well as the level of education of the local community.