DIGITAL GOVERNANCE AND PUBLIC SERVICE EMPOWERMENT: A BIBLIOMETRIC REVIEW OF CURRENT LITERATURE

Abstract

This study presents a systematic literature review and computational science mapping of global digital governance and civic empowerment scholarship from 2020 to 2026. Analyzing a refined corpus of 100 peer-reviewed articles from Scopus and Web of Science via VOSviewer, we evaluate keyword co-occurrences, chronological trajectories, and conceptual densities. The structural data reveals a definitive paradigm shift away from the cost-cutting focus of New Public Management toward collaborative New Public Governance and Digital Era Governance ecosystems. The network topology uncovers a mature, highly saturated core anchored by transparency, accountability, and citizen participation. Conversely, a volatile peripheral frontier has emerged at the outer edges, dominated by generative artificial intelligence, autonomous mobility, and regulatory sandboxes. To reconcile the systemic friction between traditional bureaucratic discretion and this rising algorithmic landscape, we introduce the Integrated Anticipatory Techno-Governance Framework. This model weaves localized principles, specifically frugal innovation and neuro-architecture, into multi-stakeholder auditing environments, providing public managers with a clear conceptual blueprint to secure public trust, legal due process, and democratic sovereignty.