Portrait of Suharto
From history

Suharto

President of Indonesia, 1967 to 1998

His anti-communist "New Order" delivered decades of growth after the 1965 to 1966 mass killings, but also corruption and repression. Mass protests forced him out in 1998.

Suharto sits in the right-authoritarian part of the Caucus economy and liberty compass: leaning free market and strongly authoritarian. The clearest positions are strongly authoritarian on liberty and authority, strongly nationalist on nation and strongly growth-first on environment.

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Where Suharto sits on eight dimensions

Each scale runs from one pole to the other, and the dot shows the overall tendency of this leader's record and public life. These are simplified estimates and open to debate.

💰EconomyLeaning free market
State-ledFree market
⚖️Liberty and authorityStrongly authoritarian
LibertarianAuthoritarian
🎭CultureLeaning traditional
ProgressiveTraditional
🌍NationStrongly nationalist
GlobalistNationalist
🌱EnvironmentStrongly growth-first
Growth-firstNature-first
🤖TechnologyLeaning tech-optimist
Tech-cautiousTech-optimist
🕊️War and peaceStrongly strength-first
Peace-firstStrength-first
🏛️InstitutionsLeaning institutional
Anti-establishmentInstitutional

Leaders most like Suharto

Ferdinand Marcos President of the Philippines, 1965 to 198686%Chiang Kai-shek Leader of the Republic of China, 1928 to 197582%Deng Xiaoping Paramount leader of China, 1978 to 199280%Augusto Pinochet Ruler of Chile, 1973 to 199080%Mohammed bin Salman Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, 2017 to present80%Abdel Fattah el-Sisi President of Egypt, 2014 to present79%

Leaders furthest from Suharto

Mahatma Gandhi Leader of the Indian independence movement0%José Mujica President of Uruguay, 2010 to 20153%Gustavo Petro President of Colombia, 2022 to 20269%

Political views closest to Suharto

State capitalismUses a strong state to steer a market economy toward rapid growth, often limiting…82%MilitarismTreats military strength and martial values as central to national life.78%Hawkish realismSees the world as a contest between states, where military strength and alliances secure…73%

Percentages show how close two profiles are across all eight dimensions. Including a person here is for historical study and comparison, not approval. Portrait: State Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; see all photo credits.