Government by Code? Blockchain Applications to Public Sector Governance

Studies of blockchain governance can be divided into analyses of the governance of blockchains (such as rules and power dynamics within a given network) and governance by blockchains (such as how blockchains can be implemented to improve self-governance of community-based peer production networks)....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in blockchain 2022-06, Vol.5
Main Authors: Bustamante, Pedro, Cai, Meina, Gomez, Marcela, Harris, Colin, Krishnamurthy, Prashant, Law, Wilson, Madison, Michael J., Murtazashvili, Ilia, Murtazashvili, Jennifer Brick, Mylovanov, Tymofiy, Shapoval, Nataliia, Vee, Annette, Weiss, Martin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
blockchains
legal institutions
polycentricity
public procurement
public sector governance
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Summary:Studies of blockchain governance can be divided into analyses of the governance of blockchains (such as rules and power dynamics within a given network) and governance by blockchains (such as how blockchains can be implemented to improve self-governance of community-based peer production networks). Less emphasis has been placed on applications of distributed ledgers to public sector governance. Our review clarifies that the decentralization and distributive features that enable blockchains to link up loosely connected private organizations and public agencies to improve efficiency and transparency of government transactions. However, most blockchain applications lack clear advantages over the conventional digital recording of information. In addition, our review highlights that blockchain applications in public sector governance are potentially vast, though in most instances, the existing applications have not extended much beyond limited-scale pilots. We conclude with a call for the construction of indexes of public sector implementations of blockchains, as none yet exist, as well as for additional research to understand why governments have not deployed blockchains more widely.
ISSN:2624-7852
2624-7852
DOI:10.3389/fbloc.2022.869665