This study examines the role of information technology in improving public services in Bangkunat District, Pesisir Barat Regency. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, data were obtained through observation, interviews, and documentation, then analyzed with Miles and Huberman’s interactive model. The findings show that technology has increased efficiency in administrative processes, improved transparency of procedures and service costs, and strengthened accountability through digital records. These improvements align with theories on technology’s contribution to service effectiveness and good governance. However, obstacles remain, including limited internet access, uneven digital literacy, and varying capacity of local officials, which reduce the inclusiveness of digital services. Compared with previous studies mostly conducted in urban areas, this research highlights that the success of digital transformation depends heavily on local conditions. The study concludes that information technology is not only a technical tool but also a strategic instrument for reforming public services when supported by adequate infrastructure and human resources.

Public trust is a key objective in building support and stability for the government system that implements all public policies. However, the most common problem is the gap between what is formulated and what is implemented, which is far from the expectations of the community. Such incidents occur due to misconduct by internal parties and the neglect of one of the functions of management that should be a tool for achieving organizational effectiveness, namely control. The main actor (the government) has an important role in driving the life of society but chooses to ignore all components of the internal control system regulated in PP No. 06 of 2008, which was successfully adapted from the COSO framework, thereby affecting governance. This method uses a systematic literature review with a descriptive qualitative type with the aim of collecting scientific articles from various journal databases to determine the effectiveness of SPIP and Good Governance. The results show that the implementation of internal control systems greatly affects all elements of good governance and decreases public trust because the public is not involved in all policy-making decisions. All public institutions need to take action against irregularities by enforcing internal control systems for all employees, especially risk management, and ensuring that organizational activities comply with laws and regulations. The results of this study provide insight into the correlation between the government's internal control system and good governance. This study only focuses on control management in the public sector, so further research is needed on the management functions of planning, management, implementation, and evaluation that can bring about good governance.

ABSTRACT Public engagement often encounters significant barriers and challenges. Digital platforms are increasingly employed to nudge citizens toward behaviors that serve the public interest. This study examines whether and how design features of digital platforms shape citizens' engagement in pro‐environmental behaviors. Drawing on a conjoint experiment conducted in China, we find that design elements such as gamification, visual feedback, rewards, frequent information disclosure, social comparison, and accessibility significantly increase citizens' willingness to engage in low‐carbon behaviors and strengthen their preference for digital platforms. Perceived ease of use and the perceived likelihood of achieving policy goals appear to be key mechanisms driving these effects. Furthermore, citizens' policy knowledge and behavior, as well as their policy beliefs and positions, act as important scope conditions. These findings suggest that optimizing the design of digital platforms can enhance public engagement in voluntary pro‐environmental action.

ABSTRACT Most explanations of the territorial unevenness of state capacity in the contemporary non‐Western world focus on domestic factors. While international causes may have been crucial in shaping state capacity in Europe in earlier centuries, the logic goes, they are of less relevance for developing countries in the postwar era. This article nuances this picture, by arguing that international factors continue to matter for state‐building. Using the geographic location of state institutions as a measure of state capacity, it finds that the spatial distribution of coercive institutions follows a U‐shaped pattern: High capacity in the capital, lower in the middle, and then increasing again as one approach a state border. The results thus suggest a need to reconsider accounts that downplay the role of international pressures in shaping state‐building after 1945, as well as highlighting the importance of distinguishing between different types of state power.

ABSTRACT This study investigates why state capacity does not always translate into improved public goods provision. I argue that the effect of state capacity depends critically on state–society interactions, which are shaped by regime type and, more decisively, by social fragmentation. While existing research often assumes a uniformly positive impact of capacity, this study shows otherwise. In democracies, institutionalized responsiveness ensures that higher capacity consistently enhances provision, regardless of fragmentation. In authoritarian states, however, outcomes hinge on the degree of social fragmentation: where fragmentation is high, strong states provide more goods to mitigate conflict and maintain legitimacy; where society is cohesive, high capacity may instead be diverted to elite projects, exclusionary distribution, or control. Using panel data on 177 countries (1960–2015), I demonstrate that state capacity's effect is conditional, not absolute. These findings highlight how social fragmentation, interacting with political regime, fundamentally shapes the governance returns of state capacity.

ABSTRACTThe persistent influence of historical bureaucratic institutions on various contemporary socio‐economic outcomes is well documented, yet the extent to which these institutions shape current citizen‐state interactions remains underexplored. This study focuses on the persistent effect of a cultural factor shaped by a historical meritocratic institution (ancient China's imperial examination) on citizen compliance with social distancing policies during the first wave of COVID‐19 in China. Based on historical archives and digital mobility data, we find that human mobility decreased significantly more in cities with more achievers in the examination after the unexpected lockdown, the Wuhan Lockdown, in China. This effect is implemented through channels of current education level and bureaucracy‐oriented value. Further analysis based on survey data shows that this effect is reflected in citizens' obedience to the central government, rather than to local governments. These findings offer a new explanation for the geographic variation in citizen compliance and highlight the persistent positive effect of meritocratic selection on contemporary citizen‐government interactions.

ABSTRACTAddressing “wicked” problems like climate change requires collaborative efforts from public, private, and third‐sector organizations (TSOs), making a co‐productive approach especially promising. However, traditional co‐production research often overlooks the contributions of TSOs and the voices of marginalized populations. This study addresses these gaps by exploring the role of TSOs as intermediaries in co‐producing climate actions by empowering vulnerable communities. Through a case study of a project led by BRAC, a prominent hybrid TSO in Bangladesh, we find that creating a relational space for co‐production—in this case, Climate Action Groups—is the key strategy used to foster active engagement and build long‐term climate resilience. These spaces reach their full potential when intentionally supported by mechanisms such as awareness raising and shared goals, the incorporation of local knowledge, and inclusive engagement strategies. Our research contributes to the literature by demonstrating how TSOs facilitate meaningful co‐production with vulnerable groups, thereby broadening our understanding of their role in climate governance and providing a comprehensive, practice‐based model of sustainable, community‐led adaptation. These findings offer valuable insights and emphasize the vital role of TSOs in developing practical and sustainable strategies for climate change adaptation.

ABSTRACT In responding to crises, governments often need to enact restrictions on the freedoms of citizens that might be perceived as intrusive and unfair. Yet, government interventions need to retain legitimacy in the eyes of citizens. We study the perceived legitimacy of pandemic crisis interventions with a focus on the effects of multi‐level governance and region‐specific interventions. Such territorially‐differentiated measures are often appropriate for effective crisis responses, but they raise concerns about equal treatment. Our pre‐registered survey experiments run on quota‐representative national samples in Germany and the Netherlands ( N = 2252) find no evidence in support of the conjecture that citizens perceive nation‐wide crisis interventions as more legitimate than region‐specific measures. The level of government making the decision matters very little for the legitimacy of the interventions. Restrictions enacted by the national government are slightly more accepted than those decided regionally in the Netherlands, but there is no such difference in Germany.

This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of the SIPANAS (Service Travel Information System) application in the General, Protocol, and Leadership Communication Section of the Surabaya City Government, as well as to identify its supporting and inhibiting factors. This research is important as digitalization in government services requires effective systems to improve efficiency and transparency. The study employs a qualitative research approach with data collection techniques consisting of interviews, observations, and documentation. The analysis is based on Sutrisno’s effectiveness theory, which includes five indicators: program understanding, target accuracy, timeliness, achievement of objectives, and tangible change.The findings indicate that the implementation of the SIPANAS application can generally be considered effective in supporting the administration of official travel services. The main supporting factors include strong leadership support, structured training for employees, and assistance from qualified instructors. Conversely, the inhibiting factors are technical issues within the application and limited user understanding of its operation. The implications of this research highlight the importance of strengthening human resource capacity and improving system reliability as essential elements for the success of government digitalization initiatives. The originality of this study lies in its application of Sutrisno’s effectiveness indicators in evaluating the implementation of a local government digital service system. Thus, it contributes academically by expanding the use of effectiveness theory in public sector digitalization studies and provides practical recommendations for the development of e-government in Indonesia.

General elections are a proof that the Indonesian state adheres to a democratic system in which decision-making always involves the community. In general elections, community participation is needed to achieve a complete democracy so that the KPU's role in increasing community participation is necessary. This article aims to analyze the role of the KPU in increasing community participation and its obstacles in the 2024 elections. This research uses qualitative research methods with literature data collection. The data taken by researchers comes from articles, journals, websites and others relevant to this research. The research uses an informative juridical approach that makes Law No. 7 of 2017 as a reference. After analyzing this research, it results that the role of the KPU in increasing community participation is to provide socialization to the community, invite the community to participate in peaceful election campaigns and anti hoaxes, increase public trust in the government and finally provide the facilities needed during elections. when carrying out its duties and responsibilities, the KPU also often gets challenges from several factors. The factors that hinder the KPU in carrying out its duties are technical, political and socialization factors as well as the limitations of people with disabilities.