Reputational Resources of the Public Governance System and the «Legal Market»

Client-Centric Governance is a new approach in public administration, grounded in the use of personal data and the automation of decision-making processes. It can be described as synergistic analytics, representing an emerging movement rooted in feedback theory, data science, and statistics, applying software algorithms to large datasets to identify patterns and correlations capable of generating actionable insights. Client-centricity, once driven by social empathy and marketing, is now shaped   by advances in computer science and software development that have powered the   networked digital revolution, transforming society in less than a generation. However, these powerful technologies are inherently ambivalent: their strength, flexibility, opacity, and unpredictable impact on the social sphere make them potentially dangerous and capable of causing harm. Algorithmic systems employing «self-learning» elements, automated profiling, automatic notifications, and large-scale databases pose the risk of delegating core public functions to digital machines. Warnings against absolutism were voiced by Enlightenment thinkers, and these ideas have regained relevance in the face of digital hegemony, the imposition of non-alternative digital platforms, and increased tax oversight of small businesses. When pushed to extremes through over-digitalization, client-centricity loses the balance between state power and society. The article examines specific trends in client-centricity as a form of reputational resource for governance, discusses the risks of failures and misuse of personal data, and assesses the feasibility of creating practical, effective, and meaningful safeguards for client-centric systems. It explores examples of both threats and advantages of client-centricity for the penal system. The digital emphasis on using market mechanisms in public service delivery and applying private-sector management methods has replaced liberal approaches, but the belief in the power of markets and competition retains a dogmatic character. Ambitious institutional restructuring programs should be complemented by healthy techno-skepticism and preserve decision-making freedom for individual and collective actors. The more deterministic the decision tree we create, the greater the risks of technological failures.

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