Abstract. The Government of Indonesia has enacted Law No. 32 of 2004. It has affirmed that the head of a
sub-district is a local apparatus of district/town, who acquires some of the government authorities from the
district head/mayor. Such guarantee of partial authority is significant. With the authority in his hand, the subdistrict
head is able to set in motion and put in orders for the developments in his territory to be more dynamic,
democratic, and legally-carried out. Nevertheless, the roles of the sub-district head—supposedly to mediate and
overcome problems in society, as stated in the Law No. 5 of 1974—are no longer entirely accommodated in the
Government Regulation No. 19 of 2008 issued by the central government to regulate sub-districts.
