Penelitian ini hendak mengetahui perkembangan bosisme lokal di Indonesia pada era desentralisasi. Penelitian akan terfokus pada kemunculan Muhammad Andi Ali Baal Masdar sebagai bos lokal serta penguatan jaringan yang ia lakukan. Peneliti menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan pendekatan wawancara mendalam, observasi dan pengumpulan dokumen. Teori yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu teori mengenai orang kuat lokal, teori mengenai bossisme lokal, teori dinasti politik dan teori mengenai hubungan patron-klien. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kemunculan Muhammad Andi Ali Baal Masdar sebagai bos lokal dimulai sejak ia menduduki jabatan bupati. Selain itu, melemahnya kontrol DPRD Polewali Mandar turut mempermudah langkahnya untuk menjadi bos lokal. Muhammad Andi Ali Baal Masdar melakukan money politics atau political buying untuk mempertahankan kekuasaannya. Kekuatan politik Muhammad Andi Ali Baal Masdar didukung Partai Golkar dan Partai Gerindra di Polewali Mandar. Ia juga merangkul kalangan agamawan, jurnalis/pers lokal, jaringan birokrasi, hingga para pengusaha lokal dalam memperkuat kekuasaannya. Status kebangsawanan Muhammad Andi Ali Baal Masdar menjadi modal sosial di tengah masyarakat Mandar yang bersifat patrimodial, hal ini semakin meperkuat eksistensinya sebagai bos lokal di Polewali Mandar. Selain itu, Muhammad Andi Ali Baal Masdar juga mempunyai modal ekonomi yang kuat, ia di kenal sebagai keluarga yang kaya raya dan kontrol terhadap sumber-sumber ekonomi berupa proyek pemerintah. Implikasi teori memperlihatkan bahwa kekuasaan Muhammad Andi Ali Baal Masdar tidak sepenuhnya memenuhi kriteria yang dimaksud dalam teori local strongmen atau local bossism. Salah satu kriteria yang tidak terpenuhi ialah penggunaan kekerasan, intimidasi terhadap lawan politiknya. Akan tetapi, hal ini tidak mengugurkan keberadaan Muhammad Andi Ali Baal Masdar sebagai bos lokal karena kekuasaan yang dimiliki sudah membentuk dinasti politisi, birokasi dan pengusaha/pebisnis.

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This research seek to understand the development of local bosism in Indonesia during the decentralization era. The research will focus on the emerge of Muhammad Andi Ali Baal Masdar as local boss as well as his strengthening of the the network he conducted. This research was applying qualitative method with deep interview approach, observation and documents collecting. The Theory used in this research was a theory concerning local strong person, theory concerning local bossism, political dynasty theory and theory concerning patronge-client.

The research result shows that the arising of Muhammad Andi Ali Baal Masdar as local boss began since he was appointed as Head of Regency (Bupati). Beside that, the weakening of control on Polewali Mandar Regional Representative (DPRD) contributed facilitating his steps to become a local bos. Muhammad Andi Ali Baal Masdar conducted money politics or political buying to defense his power. Muhammad Andi Ali Baal Masdar?s political power was supported by Golkar Party and Gerindra Party in Polewali Mandar. He also embraced religious prominent, journalists/local pers, bureaucrat network, until local businessman in strengthening his power. The nobility status of Muhammad Andi Ali Baal Masdar became a social capital among Mandar community which having patrimodial nature, this strengthened his existeance as local bos in Polewali Mandar. Beside that, Muhammad Andi Ali Baal Masdar also had a strong economical capital, he was prominent as a rich and welthy family and has a control on economical resources such as government projects.

The theory implication shows that the power of Muhammad Andi Ali Baal Masdar did not meet the criteria mentioned in the teori local strongmen theory or local bossism. One of the criteria which did not met was the using of strength, intimidation to the opposite politicians. But, this did not vanishing the existance of Muhammad Andi Ali Baal Masdar as local boss since the power he owed had established a political dynasty supporting by three elements politicians, bureaucration, and businessman.