E-Government and Citizen Participation: Enhancing Public Accountability through Digital Technology

Abstract

The implementation of e-government has become a key strategy in increasing citizen participation and public accountability through the use of digital technology. This study aims to analyze how e-government can encourage community involvement in the decision-making process and increase government transparency and accountability. This study uses a qualitative method with a library research approach, where various academic sources, government policies, and previous research are studied in depth to understand the relationship between e-government and citizen participation. The results of the study show that the implementation of e-government can increase access to public information, facilitate interaction between the government and the community, and strengthen the supervision mechanism for public policies. In addition, the use of digital technology allows citizens to be more active in providing feedback, submitting aspirations, and supervising policies implemented by the government. However, this study also found several challenges in the implementation of e-government, such as the digital divide, lack of technological literacy among the public, as well as regulatory and policy constraints that have not fully supported transparency and optimal public participation. The study concludes that e-government has great potential to increase public accountability through citizen participation, but its effectiveness is highly dependent on the readiness of digital infrastructure, technological literacy, and the government's commitment to creating an open and inclusive system. Therefore, more adaptive policies and digital education programs are needed to ensure wider and meaningful community involvement in digital-based governance.