The future of state-citizen relationships in the digital space: myth, immutability, or peril (based on expert survey materials)

Annotation

The article is devoted to the study of the image of the future of state-citizen relationships in the digital environment from the perspective of information technology experts. In the context of the contemporary transformations in the virtual space, particular attention is given to understanding the main directions of socio-political development, especially concerning the interaction between the state and its citizens, both in classical terms and within the framework of the concept of the digital state. The aim is to identify trends in state-citizen relationships in the digital space. The research draws upon the works of domestic political scientists focusing on themes related to the digital space, political mythology, and studies on future construction. The empirical basis of the study consists of the results of 19 expert interviews conducted with scholars, practitioners, and government officials from three regions of the Russian Federation: Saint Petersburg, Moscow, and the Nizhny Novgorod region. Based on the study results, conclusions are drawn that the images of the future of state-citizen relationships in the digital environment are closely related to the current agenda, the level of political trust, images that can be interpreted within the framework of political mythology, and, importantly, underscore the high level of risks associated with the transition of interactions into the virtual space.

Keywords

• digital state
• electronic state
• state
• citizen
• digital citizenship
• political myth
• mythology
• trust
• digital reality
• risk
• threats
• agenda
• image of the future
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Acknowledgments

the research was carried out at the expense of a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (project No. 22-78-10049 “The state and the citizen in the new digital reality”).

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