The impact of algorithm-driven public services on public satisfaction:An analysis based on a survey experiment

  • JIANG Pei-lin ,
  • CHEN Shui-sheng
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Received date: 2025-10-13

  Revised date: 2026-01-08

  Online published: 2026-05-09

Highlights

In the digital intelligent era, the in-depth embedding of algorithms has reshaped the mode of government governance and the paradigm of public service provision. While algorithm-driven public services improve administrative efficiency, they also give rise to the problem of “negative technological externalities”. Based on the survey experiment method, this study explores the impact of different types of algorithm-driven public services on public satisfaction, and tests the mediating role of perceived procedural fairness and the moderating role of algorithmic transparency. The results show that compared with fully automated public services, semi-automated public services can significantly improve public satisfaction; perceived procedural fairness plays a mediating role between the type of public services and public satisfaction; algorithmic transparency has a significant positive effect on both public perceived procedural fairness and satisfaction, yet it does not exert a significant moderating effect between the type of public services and perceived procedural fairness. In the future, public sectors should take the realization of public value as the orientation, enhance the public’s understanding of algorithm systems and their perception of fairness, balance efficiency and equity in the process of public service provision, and construct a digital governance ecosystem featuring the synergy between technical rationality and humanistic values.

Cite this article

JIANG Pei-lin , CHEN Shui-sheng . The impact of algorithm-driven public services on public satisfaction:An analysis based on a survey experiment[J]. Urban Problems, 2026 , 366(1) : 56 -68 . DOI: 10.13239/j.bjsshkxy.cswt.260105

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