Digital Governance and Civic Inclusion to Enhance Public Participation in Political Decision-Making Processes

Anwar Sadat^*

• Universitas Muhammadiyah Buton, Bau-bau, Indonesia

This study investigates the relationship between Digital Readiness (DIR), E-Government Service Quality (EGSQ), and Public Participation in Political Decision-Making (PPPDM), emphasizing the mediating role of Digital Literacy (DL). As governments worldwide transition toward digital governance, understanding how technological infrastructure and citizens' digital capabilities interact to foster political engagement becomes crucial. The study adopts a quantitative approach using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to analyze survey data from 150 respondents who actively use e-government services in Indonesia, a developing country characterized by uneven digital literacy and infrastructure distribution. The results reveal that both DIR and EGSQ have significant positive effects on DL and PPPDM. More importantly, DL strongly mediates these relationships, demonstrating that citizens' digital competence serves as the cognitive and behavioral mechanism through which access to technology translates into active political participation. These findings reinforce the argument that technological advancement alone is insufficient to sustain inclusive governance. Instead, digital literacy must be cultivated as a civic skill enabling citizens to critically evaluate policy information, engage in digital consultations, and influence decision-making processes. Theoretically, this study contributes to the growing literature on digital democracy by identifying digital literacy as a key structural enabler of participatory governance. Practically, it offers evidence-based guidance for policymakers to balance technological development with investments in digital capacity building and civic education, thereby ensuring that digital transformation leads to genuine citizen inclusion in political decision-making.