Social Justice Based Public Policy, a Humanitarian Approach to Governance

Abstrak

This study examines how power dynamics shape local democracy through the lens of political humanism, emphasizing dignity, recognition, and citizen voice in local governance. The research aims to explain how humanistic governance principles can strengthen democratic legitimacy amid structural asymmetries in participation and decision making. A qualitative approach was employed using an interpretive case study design because political humanistic phenomena are context dependent and require analysis of meanings, relations, and institutional practices. The study was conducted in the City of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, selected due to its active civic ecosystem and diverse policy arenas that reveal everyday interactions between citizens and local authorities. Data were collected from 28 informants through semi structured interviews, observation, and document review, using purposive and snowball sampling to access policy elites, frontline implementers, civil society actors, and community members. Findings show that democratic participation is often procedural rather than influential, with power concentrated in agenda control, resource allocation, and administrative gatekeeping. Political humanism becomes visible where governance expands civic agency, reduces administrative burdens, and institutionalizes respectful deliberation. The study recommends strengthening participatory accountability, improving transparency of decision processes, and embedding dignity centered indicators into local governance evaluation.