The Digitalization of Participation in Public Administration: The Interaction Between E-Government, Governance, and Citizenship
Chapter from the book: Çeliksoy, E. (ed.) 2025. Contemporary Public Administration Studies.

Ali Tosun

Synopsis

Participation in Turkish public administration is undergoing a transformation with digitalization, moving beyond traditional centralized and hierarchical structures. This process enables citizens to participate directly or indirectly in decision-making processes through e-government applications and contributes to the reshaping of governance. E-government not only shifts service delivery to the electronic environment but also strengthens the concept of digital citizenship by increasing information sharing, transparency, and accountability. In the Turkish case, CİMER, e-petition platforms, and local government digital participation applications stand out as concrete tools that enable citizens to provide feedback and influence decision-making processes. While the advantages of digital participation include expediting processes, reducing bureaucratic barriers, and expanding participation, limiting factors include the digital divide, inequalities in access, data security, and privacy concerns. Furthermore, the effectiveness of digital tools is directly related to citizens' access to information and technological proficiency. In this context, strengthening e-government and governance mechanisms depends on increasing the inclusiveness and effectiveness of digital participation. In conclusion, digitalization increases the quality and prevalence of participation in public administration. However, sustainable and effective digital governance requires the coordination of infrastructure development, training and awareness efforts, and legal and technical regulations. This interaction directly contributes to the democratization of modern public administration.

How to cite this book

Tosun, A. (2025). The Digitalization of Participation in Public Administration: The Interaction Between E-Government, Governance, and Citizenship. In: Çeliksoy, E. (ed.), Contemporary Public Administration Studies. Özgür Publications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.58830/ozgur.pub872.c3543

License

Published

October 19, 2025

DOI