Digitalization of Public Administration and Public Trust

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study aimed at determining whether there is a relationship between the digitalization of public services and the level of public trust, as well as assessing the potential of this relationship. The methodological basis of the study was the theory of trust by N. Luhmann, who distinguished three definitions of this concept: familiarity, confidence, and trust. It was determined that in the digital environment the relations between actors are more often concentrated in the sphere of “confidence”, that is based on the actors’ belief that their expectations will not be disappointed in the absence of alternatives, while in modern Russia, trust in the political sphere is more often considered just in the meaning of authority, recognition, and approval, that is, in the meaning of “familiarity”. The main hypothesis of the study was the statement that the digitalization of public administration the system of public service delivery, leads to an increase in the level of public trust. It was found that the level of digitalization of public services increased steadily during 2012–2021, while the level of trust in public authorities increased only in the early years and showed a steady downward trend after 2015 when the pace of digitalization accelerated. Digitalization of public administration relies on the desire to reduce communication risks by exclusion the subjectivity of public decision-making, but confidence is declining as the availability of information about the unreliability of technology destroys confidence in the assurance of the outcome and thus the expectation of successful interaction. This may suggest that forcing citizens to engage digitally with public authorities, reduces their trustworthiness.