Digital Government in Political Philosophy Perspective
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Abstract
This Review article examines the notion of the digital government from political-philosophical perspectives. It treats the digital government not merely as a set of technical arrangements but as a reconfiguration of normative foundations—legitimacy, authority, rights, justice, and the social contract—in light of digitization, datafication, and algorithmic governance. Drawing on classical political philosophy (social contract theory, liberalism, republicanism, utilitarianism) and contemporary critical and information-ethical thought, the paper articulates key objectives and normative goals for a philosophically defensible digital government: to secure dignity and freedom, to protect privacy and informational self-determination, to ensure procedural and distributive justice in algorithmic decision-making, and to sustain democratic legitimacy through participatory, accountable institutions. The article explores institutional and policy implications, discusses tensions (security vs. liberty; expertise vs. democratic control; efficiency vs. justice), and outlines recommended safeguards—data rights, algorithmic transparency, democratic oversight, and deliberative platforms—needed to align digital governance with core political values. It concludes that the digital government can be normatively justified only when digital infrastructures are embedded in legal, institutional, and ethical frameworks that secure citizens’ rights and public value. Summary of the Framework for Ethical Digital Government: A minimum governance framework to legitimize digital government consists of 7 core pillars:
- Rights Foundation: Strong legal protection for information rights and personal data protection.
- Transparency and Explainability: Responsibilities include disclosing government information and explaining the rationale behind algorithms.
- Accountability and Redress: Accessible channels for remedying damages and independent organizations to adjudicate on impacts.
- Participatory Governance: Providing space for citizen participation in policy design and creating inclusive mechanisms.
- Equity Safeguards: Assessing impacts before system implementation and implementing corrective measures to prevent inequality.
- Institutional Pluralism: Integrating democratic institutions, the judiciary, and experts to balance power and safeguard diverse interests.
- Epistemological Responsibility: Committed to maintaining data quality and source, and verifying and managing data bias.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
บทความที่ปรากฏในวารสารนี้ เป็นความรับผิดชอบของผู้เขียน ซึ่งสมาคมนักวิจัยไม่จำเป็นต้องเห็นด้วยเสมอไป การนำเสนอผลงานวิจัยและบทความในวารสารนี้ไปเผยแพร่สามารถกระทำได้ โดยระบุแหล่งอ้างอิงจาก "วารสารสมาคมนักวิจัย"
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