1. Introduction

Democracy is one of the systems used in Indonesia. Democracy is the voice of the people. This means that the people determine sovereignty and determine the direction of a country's political journey and government [1,3,5]. Democracy explains the principle that every human being has the same rights and obligations in the laws of government. Every individual plays a very important role in the democratic system so that the concept of human rights is closely related to the principle of democracy. Democracy is believed to be a system that reflects political mechanisms and is considered capable of guaranteeing the existence of a government that is responsive to the wishes of its citizens. The main requirement for the creation of a universal democratic order is general elections. General elections are the most important means of democracy. Not only is it an understanding of a real process of realizing people's sovereignty but also an instrument of social and political change and ongoing succession. Elections are considered a real form of sovereignty in the hands of the people and the most real form of people's participation in organizing the state. Because with general elections, people individually have the right to vote to choose leaders or representatives of the people [1,2].

In the context of organizing a democratic party. Neutrality is a dynamic of the most important problem in implementing the General Election, namely the involvement of the State Civil Apparatus (ASN). The State Civil Apparatus is the main subject in a bureaucracy that plays a special role in carrying out state and government duties. In this case, ASN is an element in creating services to the community in a professional, fair and equitable manner. The position of the state apparatus is an element of public servants and has a high loyalty mentality towards the state [2]. This indirectly confirms that ASN is required to be neutral from the influence of all political party groups and not to discriminate against public services. Neutrality is a state of impartial or free attitude. The legal basis is regulated in Law Number 20 of 2023 concerning the State Civil Apparatus (ASN) which regulates the neutrality of ASN [2,3,4,5]:

§ The second part of The Letter f of Law Number 20 of 2023 states that ASN must be neutral, impartial, and not take sides with anyone's interests.

§ ASN must be free from political intervention, corrupt practices, collusion and nepotism.

§ ASN acts as an implementer of public policy, public servant, and unifier of the nation.

ASN is required to be in a neutral position. Neutral means that ASN has the right to vote to choose a candidate pair in the general election, but is not allowed to be involved in supporting one of the candidate pairs including the incumbent pair. Not taking sides from any form of influence whatsoever and not taking sides with anyone. The neutrality of ASN employees is an obligation that must be possessed by Civil Servants because it is imperative. The consequences of the imperative nature are sanctions and if these provisions are not carried out or do what should not be done, this is referred to as a violation in the context of violations of neutrality in political activities carried out by ASN employees [3,4,5].

The phenomenon of involvement in a series of campaign activities and socialization to win the regional election participants shows that regulations related to ASN neutrality have not been enforced properly, to prevent bureaucratic abuse, this prohibition is clearly understood. However, if it is not accompanied by enforcement of sanctions, it will create a comfort zone for ASN individuals to be involved in the succession of the Regional Head election in every country that holds the Regional Election [6,7,8].

According to Abraham Maslow, humans have hierarchical needs that will motivate them to fulfill them immediately. These hierarchical needs are arranged holistically and apply to most humans. Maslow developed his ideas further and is known as the hierarchy of needs. The needs referred to are as follows [9,10,11,12]:

1. Physiological Needs. These include human needs for oxygen, water, protein, salt, sugar, carbohydrates, nutrients, calcium and various minerals, vitamins, balanced pH needs, balanced air temperature, moving, thinking, defecating and sweating, avoiding the dangers of disease, having sex and so on. According to him, these needs are individual.

2. Safety Needs. When physiological needs are met, the second layer of needs will automatically emerge. This includes tolerance between neighbors, safe jobs and workplaces, career paths, mature retirement planning, social security and health insurance, and so on.

3. Love Needs. When the basic physiological and safety needs have been met, the third layer of needs will emerge. A person will begin to feel the need for friends, lovers, children and serious relationships based on feelings and so on. The impact of not meeting these needs is the emergence of anxiety about being alone and lonely.

4. Self-Esteem Needs. After the basic physiological needs, security, love and longing have been met, the need for self-esteem in humans will arise. However, according to Maslow, this need for self-esteem is divided into two, namely a weak form and a strong form.

Abraham Maslow's hierarchical needs above can also be used to see the phenomenon of ASN individuals getting involved either as a campaign team or as sympathizers of a regional head candidate. It is common knowledge that the motives of ASN who are close and even openly become a campaign team in the regional elections can be divided into several alternative possibilities, such as: 1. Seeking a position; 2. Securing a position; 3. So as not to be transferred to a work location that is further from where they live; 4. So as not to lose their position; 5. Career ladder [12,13,14]

Of course, these alternative possibilities are still debatable, but from the five alternatives, they can cover basic physiological needs, the need for security, comfort at work (office), the need for longing and the need for self-esteem. The inability to fulfill Abraham Maslow's hierarchical needs can later cause psychological problems, such as anxiety disorders and depression due to the emergence of conflicts that stem from the failure to fulfill these needs [1,3,10].

2. Methods

2.1. Subjects

This research is an analytical correlation study using a cross-sectional research method involving 108 respondents who work at Lakipadada Hospital, Tana Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi. In addition, this research is alsoempirical because it focuses on how the law can be applied in society and the impact of the application of the law.

Inclusion criteria: (1). Employees with ASN status (both Civil Servants and Government Employees with Work Agreements (PPPK) who work at Lakipadada Regional Hospital; (2). Have participated in general elections; (3). Can be connected to internet access. This study took place from August to October 2024. The Lakipadada Ethics Committee gave their approval to the study.

2.2. Design and Procedure

A correlation analytical research design was used in this investigation. The Lakipadada Ethics Committee in Lakipadada Hospital in Tana Toraja, Indonesia, accepted it, and all experiments were carried out in conformity with relevant standards and regulations. All participants were given written informed consent to participate in this study and for the results to be published after a comprehensive explanation of the study protocols.

The following are the study's procedures:

1) Respondents filled out the Questionnaire on the Level of Understanding of ASN Neutrality in the Regional Elections and the Questionnaire on the Level of Anxiety using the Beck Anxiety Inventory which can be accessed via the Google Form link with the link https://forms.gle/fCmXRjkaJFVv93Zv8.

2) The data is analyzed using SPSS version 22 and the statistical method of the Correlation Of The Contingencies Coefficient and Lambda.

2.3. Measurement

2.3.1. Psychometric Measures

There are two instruments used in this study:

(1). To determine the level of understanding of State Civil Apparatus (ASN) regarding general election regulations, a questionnaire was used on the level of understanding of ASN neutrality in Regional Head Elections (Pemilukada) which consists of 7 questions [8,9].

(2). The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) was developed by Aaron T. Beck to assess the absence of symptoms as well as the intensity of anxiety in people. This questionnaire is a self-report questionnaire with 21 multiple-choice items. Each question is given a score ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (very severe), as well as the accompanying information: 0 means not at all, 1 means mild, 2 means moderate, and 3 means severe. The total value for each item is calculated by adding the values for each item, with the total value ranging from 0 to 63 points. The following is the interpreted value:

Total Score 0 – 7: Minimum anxiety level

Score 8 – 15: Mild anxiety level

Score 16-25: Moderate anxiety levels

Score 26 -63: Severe anxiety level

BAI's scale validity and reliability test scores range from 0.92 to 0.94 (Cronbach's Alpha) [15].

2.3.2. Statistical Analysis

The data was processed and presented using the statistical program (SPSS) version 22. The data will be evaluated using the correlation of contingencies coefficient and lambda statistical approach.

3. Results

3.1. Subject Characteristics

The demographic characteristics of therespondentsare shown in table 1.

Table 1. Demographics ofrespondents

Based on table 1, the most of respondents were female (90%), with the largest age range being 36-40 years (35.19%) and having been a civil servant for more than 10 years (64.82%).

Table 2. Level of ASN Understanding of the ASN Neutrality Law in General Elections

Based on table 2 above, the most of ASN working at Lakipadada Regional Hospital understand the existence of the ASN Neutrality Law in general elections (85.19%), while only around 14.81% do not understand the existence of this Law.

Table 3. Number of General Elections Participated in While Being a Civil Servant

Based on table 3, the largest number of respondents had participated in general elections less than five times (45.37%), the range of five to ten times was 42.59%, more than ten times was 7.41% and there were also respondents who had never participated in general elections as many as 4.63%.

Table 4. Degree of anxiety that arises before the General Election based on the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scale

Based on table 4, the highest level of anxiety experienced by respondents, as measured using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) questionnaire ahead of the general election, was minimal anxiety (90.74%), then mild (6.48%), moderate (1.85%) and severe (0.93%).

4. Statistical Analysis

Based on the data obtained fromQuestionnaire on the Level of Understanding of ASN Neutrality in the Regional Elections and the Questionnaire on the Level of Anxiety using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), then the form of correlation between the two will be analyzed using the Lambda Contingency Correlation Test via SPSS Version 22.

Table 5. Lambda contingency correlation test between ASN understanding of the ASN Neutrality Law and Degree of Anxiety

Based on table 5, the results show that there is no correlation between the level of ASN understanding of the ASN neutrality law and the degree of anxiety experienced by respondents ahead of the general election (p = 0.315). After conducting a correlation test analysis with lambda contingency, very weak results were also obtained with a value of r = 0.024.

Table 6. Correlation test between the frequency of ASN participating in the General Election and the Degree of Anxiety

Based on table 6, the results show that there is no correlation between the frequency of ASN participating in general elections and the degree of anxiety experienced by respondents before the general election (p = 1,000). After conducting a correlation test analysis with lambda contingency, very weak results were also obtained with a value of r = 0.000.

5. Discussion

Based on the data obtained from respondents, most ASN employees who work at Lakipadada Hospital have understood the ASN Neutrality Law in general elections (85.19%), they get more information from social media and also socialization when undergoing briefing / orientation before working at Lakipadada Hospital, one form of which is Basic Education (Latsar) held by the Tana Toraja Regency government with a Basic Training duration of 30 days. In addition, the General Election Commission (KPU) and the General Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) have also conducted socialization regarding the ASN Neutrality Law in general elections, in the form of flyers, pamphlets, and banners installed in several areas at Lakipadada Hospital. However, 14.81% of respondents were still found to have not understood the existence of the ASN Neutrality Law in general elections, so that an approach and socialization effort is needed for them regarding the Law.

Most respondents have participated in the general election process < 5 times (45.37%), 5-10 times (42.59%) and > 10 times (7.41%). This indicates that each ASN has been aware of the importance of their participation in exercising their right to vote in a general election activity for the progress of the regional government where they live, but they still maintain ASN neutrality in the regional head election process. However, there are still around 4.63% of respondents who have never participated in the regional head election so that they are included in the white group category (golput), namely respondents who choose not to use their voting rights in the general election. There are several reasons why someone chooses not to use their voting rights, including [16]:

*) Being apathetic towards politics. This can be caused by exposure to news of corruption that continues to occur or disappointment towards the existing government.

*) Not getting facilities to participate in the general election, for example not having assistance to go to the Polling Station (TPS) or not having ballot papers or summons letters as Permanent Voters List (DPT) can also be an obstacle.

*) Lack of information regarding the general election.

This is certainly the task of Lakipadada Regional Hospital, the General Election Commission and the General Election Supervisory Body to be able to conduct socialization related to the importance of participation from each ASN to exercise their right to vote in a general election in order to create a more just and conducive democratic climate of government.

Based on the results of the Beck Inventory Anxiety (BAI) questionnaire measurement, the highest level of anxiety in respondents was minimal (90.74%). This could be because each respondent was more focused on the services provided to patients at Lakipadada Hospital, instead of thinking about their position or securing their position after the regional head election. This is also one of the causes of the absence of correlation between the frequency of ASN participating in general elections and the level of anxiety (p = 1,000, r = 0.000) and the level of ASN understanding of the ASN Neutrality Law and the level of anxiety (p = 0.315, r = 0.024). Most respondents viewed that the services provided at the Hospital were a higher priority for them because in accordance with the main task as ASN, it is to prioritize services to patients, including whoever will be elected later who will occupy the government system, they believe that health will be the main priority in the pillars of development, both in the central and regional governments.

6. Conclusions

The study found no significant correlation between the level of understanding of ASN neutrality and the degree of anxiety experienced by individuals ahead of the regional head election at Lakipadada Hospital, Tana Toraja Regency.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper. The authors would like to acknowledge the important support and contributions from Lakipadada General Hospital.