Title: Governability and a technocratic approach to government as a platform: critics using the Russian case

Authors: Leonid Smorgunov

Addresses: Department of Political Governance, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab., 7/9, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia

Abstract: Governability is the critical issue implementing digital government. In Russia, the Federal Target Programme 'Digital Economy' is planned to be implemented with the transition from an electronic to digital government. At the heart of the formation is the idea of the state as a platform that allows effectively implement public functions and services. The technocratic approach dominates this idea and means that effective public policy and governance is possible almost without persons and public relations. This approach leads not only to a limiting the political possibilities of new technologies but also to the formation of unintentional digital authoritarianism. The latter does not imply a reforming the administrative system and is usually accompanied by excessive technological optimism, centralisation tendencies in the management of technology implementation, the surveillance and strengthening of algorithmitic governability. This paper aims to critically analyse the technocratic values of the government as a platform using the Russian case.

Keywords: governability; government as a platform; technocratic approach; unintentional digital authoritarianism; critics; Russian case.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEG.2021.114298

International Journal of Electronic Governance, 2021 Vol.13 No.1, pp.4 - 20

Accepted: 05 Aug 2020
Published online: 15 Apr 2021 *

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