NETOCRATISATION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: INFORMATION SOCIETY TRENDS

DOI: 10.31673/2786-7412.2025.015423

Abstract

The article examines the phenomenon of netocracy as a new model of public
administration organization in the context of the emergence of an information society.
Netocracy is considered not simply as a consequence of digitalization, but as a
qualitatively new logic of power based on network interaction, strategic communications,
information flows, and reputational capital.
The study analyzes key trends that contribute to the outlined transformation: the
growth of the role of digital elites, algorithmization of management, participation,
crowdsourcing, digital activism, and rethinking legitimacy in the digital age. Particular
attention is paid to the transformation of the institutional architecture of public
administration (from a centralized bureaucratic model to a dynamic network ecosystem
in which the state acts not as a controller, but as a facilitator and moderator of public
interaction).
Key challenges and risks in public administration related to netocracy are
identified: the crisis of legitimacy of traditional institutions, dependence on global IT
structures, digital inequality, threats of fragmentation of public space and algorithmic
populism. The need to form new legal, ethical and managerial mechanisms capable of
ensuring a balance between technological innovation and democratic accountability is
emphasized.
The positive impact of netocracy is emphasized, which consists in forming unique
opportunities – not only to adapt to the digital age, but also to become an example of
modern, open and sustainable network governance.

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