Electronic and digital participation in municipalities in Türkiye: A theoretical model proposal

This doctoral dissertation examines the phenomenon of digital participation at the level of local governments and aims to develop a conceptual framework specific to this field. Although digital participation has increasingly attracted attention in the public administration literature, it has not yet been adequately conceptualized within the context of local governments, nor has it been systematically analysed through practice-oriented approaches. Accordingly, the study seeks to clarify what digital participation entails in the context of municipalities, to analytically define the boundaries of the concept, and to propose an original model that can be operationalized at the local level. In the first phase of the research, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify and analyse the fundamental components of digital participation. Based on this analysis, a model was developed to support more informed, effective, and sustainable citizen engagement in decision-making processes. The proposed model is distinctive not only in its integration of digitalization processes with the principles of governance, but also in its provision of concrete and applicable policy recommendations to enhance the digital participation capacities of municipalities. Furthermore, the model introduces a novel perspective by incorporating an actor that has not yet been sufficiently addressed in the digital participation literature, machines, as active components influencing decision-making processes. The dissertation also offers a comprehensive examination of the impact of information and communication technologies on participation, and critically evaluates the distinctions and intersections among related concepts such as e-participation, digital participation, e-government, and digital government from an interdisciplinary perspective. In this regard, the study not only addresses a significant theoretical gap, but also presents a practical and adaptable digital participation model, offering concrete and original contributions to both academic literature and local government practices.