Kapasitas Digital, Transparansi, dan Kepercayaan Publik: Studi Komparatif Smart Governance di Pemerintah Provinsi dan Pemerintah Kota

Abstract

This article analyzes the relationship between digital government capacity, transparency, responsiveness, and public trust in Indonesia’s electronic-based government system. Using a comparative document-based case study, it compares provincial and municipal government governance models in implementing smart governance. The article argues that digital transformation does not automatically improve public trust. Trust emerges when digital capacity is institutionally connected to transparency, service responsiveness, and administrative integration. Indonesia’s national electronic-based government index increased to 3.12 in 2024, indicating formal progress in digital government implementation. However, the key governance challenge lies in uneven institutional capacity across government levels. Provincial governments often possess broader coordination authority but face bureaucratic fragmentation, while city governments may be closer to citizens but vary in fiscal and technical capacity. The novelty of this article lies in its conceptualization of smart governance as an institutional trust-building mechanism rather than merely a technological modernization agenda. The article contributes to politics and governance studies by demonstrating that digital government effectiveness depends on the interaction between technological infrastructure, bureaucratic integration, accountability, and citizen-oriented responsiveness