THE INFLUENCE OF LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES' EDUCATION LEVEL ON THE QUALITY OF THE LEGISLATION PRODUCED IN INDONESIA

Abstract

In a modern democratic system, legislative institutions play a central role in the formation of laws, policy oversight, and representation of the people's aspirations. However, the minimum educational standards for legislative candidates as stipulated in Article 240 paragraph (1) letter e of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections, which only requires an equivalent of high school education, raises critical questions regarding the intellectual readiness of legislative candidates to face the complexity of legislative tasks. This study uses a descriptive qualitative method with a normative juridical approach, through a literature review and documentation of regulations, scientific literature, and empirical data to examine legislative candidacy regulations, as well as the relationship between the level of education of legislative candidates and the quality of legislation produced in Indonesia. The results of the study indicate that there is a significant correlation between the level of formal education and the capacity of legislative members to carry out legislative functions. Higher education contributes to increased analytical skills, legal understanding, communication skills, and the quality of the process of formulating and supervising the implementation of laws. Therefore, the level of education has a significant influence on the quality of legislation. Legislators with higher levels of education tend to have better analytical skills and understanding of complex issues, thus producing higher-quality legislative products.