Public Trust and Government Legitimacy in the Era of Digital Governance: An Institutional Perspective

The rapid advancement of digital technologies has transformed the way governments deliver public services, engage with citizens, and exercise administrative authority. While digital governance offers significant opportunities to enhance efficiency, transparency, and accessibility, its long-term success depends on the ability of public institutions to maintain public trust and secure governmental legitimacy. This study aims to examine the relationship between public trust and government legitimacy in the era of digital governance from an institutional perspective. Using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach, this research analyzes 25 scholarly documents retrieved from Google Scholar. The review follows a structured process of identification, screening, eligibility assessment, and thematic synthesis. The findings reveal that institutional factors, including transparency, accountability, government responsiveness, citizen participation, data security, and digital inclusion, play a critical role in shaping public trust toward digital governance initiatives. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that public trust functions as a key mechanism through which institutional performance contributes to the legitimacy of government in digital environments. The review also identifies major challenges affecting legitimacy, such as cybersecurity risks, digital inequality, misinformation, and ethical concerns related to emerging technologies. Despite these challenges, digital governance presents significant opportunities to strengthen citizen-government relationships when supported by effective institutional arrangements. This study contributes to the literature by providing an integrated institutional framework that explains the interrelationship between digital governance, public trust, and government legitimacy. The findings offer practical insights for policymakers seeking to develop trustworthy, inclusive, and legitimate digital governance systems capable of responding to the demands of contemporary society.