IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/osf/socarx/j495x_v1.html

Algorithmic Accountability in Public Administration: A Systematic Review and Conceptual Framework for Responsible AI Governance

Author

Listed:
  • TOLEDO, RALPH RENDELL

    (Government Procurement Policy Board-Technical Support Office)

Abstract

(This manuscript is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed.) The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in government decision-making has raised important questions about accountability in public administration. While AI technologies offer opportunities to improve efficiency, data analysis, and public service delivery, the integration of algorithmic systems into administrative processes also introduces new governance challenges related to transparency, responsibility, and democratic oversight. This study examines how algorithmic accountability is addressed in the existing literature on artificial intelligence in the public sector. Using a systematic literature review guided by the PRISMA framework, the study analyzes 45 peer-reviewed publications drawn from major academic databases. The findings identify five key governance dimensions discussed in the literature: transparency in algorithmic decision-making, explainability of AI systems, human oversight and administrative responsibility, ethical governance of artificial intelligence, and public trust in digital government. Based on these findings, the study proposes a conceptual framework that explains how these governance mechanisms interact to support accountable algorithmic decision systems in public administration. The framework extends traditional public administration theories of accountability to the emerging governance challenges created by algorithmic decision systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Toledo, Ralph Rendell, 2026. "Algorithmic Accountability in Public Administration: A Systematic Review and Conceptual Framework for Responsible AI Governance," SocArXiv j495x_v1, Center for Open Science.
  • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:j495x_v1
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/j495x_v1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://osf.io/download/69a92b770a95d511fce7d2c4/
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.31219/osf.io/j495x_v1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mariarosaria Taddeo & Luciano Floridi, 2018. "Regulate artificial intelligence to avert cyber arms race," Nature, Nature, vol. 556(7701), pages 296-298, April.
    2. Bernd W. Wirtz & Jan C. Weyerer & Carolin Geyer, 2019. "Artificial Intelligence and the Public Sector—Applications and Challenges," International Journal of Public Administration, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(7), pages 596-615, May.
    3. Jamie Berryhill & Kévin Kok Heang & Rob Clogher & Keegan McBride, 2019. "Hello, World: Artificial intelligence and its use in the public sector," OECD Working Papers on Public Governance 36, OECD Publishing.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fernanda Sobrino & Adolfo De Unánue T. & Edgar Hernández & Patricia Villa & Elena Villalobos & David Aké & Stephany Cisneros & Cristian Paul Camacho Osnay & Armando García Neri & Israel Hernández, 2026. "Designing AI for Prosecutorial Governance: Case Prioritization and Statutory Oversight in Mexico," Working Paper Series of the School of Government and Public Transformation 24, School of Governement and Public Transformation.
    2. Wilson, Christopher & van der Velden, Maja, 2022. "Sustainable AI: An integrated model to guide public sector decision-making," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    3. Shivam Gupta & Shampy Kamboj & Surajit Bag, 2023. "Role of Risks in the Development of Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Digital Healthcare Domain," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 25(6), pages 2257-2274, December.
    4. Ludmila-Daniela Manea & Iulian-Adrian Sorcaru & Mihaela-Carmen Muntean & Rozalia Nistor, 2025. "The Future of Digital Governance: A Bibliometric Exploration of Public Administration Transformation in the Era of e-Government and Artificial Intelligence," Economics and Applied Informatics, "Dunarea de Jos" University of Galati, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, issue 2, pages 120-127.
    5. repec:bcp:journl:v:9:y:2025:i:10:p:1906-1915 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Oussama Najari & Cheklekbire Malainine, 2025. "Leveraging AI to Advance the Sustainable Development Goals in Morocco's Public Sector [Exploiter l'IA pour faire progresser les Objectifs de développement durable dans le secteur public marocain]," Post-Print hal-05110441, HAL.
    7. Kiruja Annie Rodah Nyawira & Dr Mary Nyawira Mwenda, 2025. "Strategic Integration of AI-Driven Project Management Systems in Public Sector Development Projects: A Comparative Study of Emerging and Advanced Economies," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(14), pages 1174-1181, May.
    8. Anca Florentina Vatamanu & Mihaela Tofan, 2025. "Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Public Administration: Challenges and Vulnerabilities," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-23, April.
    9. Fatima, Samar & Desouza, Kevin C. & Dawson, Gregory S., 2020. "National strategic artificial intelligence plans: A multi-dimensional analysis," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 178-194.
    10. Khalid Alshehhi & Ali Cheaitou & Hamad Rashid, 2025. "Investigating risk elements and critical success factors for AI procurement projects in the public sector: a qualitative approach based on UAE public organisations," International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management, Springer;The Society for Reliability, Engineering Quality and Operations Management (SREQOM),India, and Division of Operation and Maintenance, Lulea University of Technology, Sweden, vol. 16(2), pages 446-467, February.
    11. Dolores Genaro-Moya & Antonio Manuel López-Hernández & Mariia Godz, 2025. "Artificial Intelligence and Public Sector Auditing: Challenges and Opportunities for Supreme Audit Institutions," World, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-19, June.
    12. Jon Truby, 2020. "Governing Artificial Intelligence to benefit the UN Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4), pages 946-959, July.
    13. Luca Grilli & Sergio Mariotti & Riccardo Marzano, 2024. "Artificial intelligence and shapeshifting capitalism," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 303-318, April.
    14. The Anh Han & Luís Moniz Pereira & Tom Lenaerts & Francisco C Santos, 2021. "Mediating artificial intelligence developments through negative and positive incentives," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(1), pages 1-21, January.
    15. Araz Taeihagh, 2021. "Governance of artificial intelligence [Application of artificial intelligence for development of intelligent transport system in smart cities]," Policy and Society, Darryl S. Jarvis and M. Ramesh, vol. 40(2), pages 137-157.
    16. Nam, Jinyoung & Kim, Junghwan & Jung, Yoonhyuk, 2023. "Understandings of the AI business ecosystem in South Korea: AI startups' perspective," 32nd European Regional ITS Conference, Madrid 2023: Realising the digital decade in the European Union – Easier said than done? 278005, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    17. Li, Zhe & Yang, Huiyu & Zhang, Tingting, 2025. "Impact of enterprise artificial intelligence development on human capital structure," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    18. Flores, Lou Norman & Moreno, Frede, 2024. "Ethical Implications and Perspectives on the Utilization of Artificial Intelligence among Graduate Students in Public Administration in Basilan Province, Philippines," MPRA Paper 122809, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 28 Nov 2024.
    19. Nam, Jinyoung & Jung, Yoonhyuk & Kim, Junghwan, 2024. "Understandings of the AI business ecosystem in South Korea: AI startups’ perspective," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(6).
    20. Fotios Fitsilis & Anastasia Papastylianou, 2024. "Training of Greek Public Administrators in Legal Knowledge Management by Using the Legislation Editing Open Software (LEOS)," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(2), pages 7927-7940, June.
    21. Li, Zhengzheng & Xing, Youze & Shao, Xuefeng & Zhong, Yifan & Su, Yun Hsuan, 2025. "Transitioning the energy landscape: AI's role in shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:j495x_v1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: OSF (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://arabixiv.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.