Trust and transparency in algorithmic governance: a multi-level framework
Esther Nieuwenhuizen · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · 2025
Transparency is presented as a key element for maintaining trust in the use of algorithms by governments. The current literature focuses mainly on the need for explainable algorithms and accessible source code. A narrow focus on specific algorithmic applications fails to acknowledge the organisational and institutional context of algorithmic governance. This chapter argues that we need to broaden our understanding of the relationship between trust and algorithmic transparency by not only studying this at the micro level (trust in and transparency of specific algorithms), but also at the meso level (trust in and transparency about the organisational embedding of algorithms) and the macro level (trust in and transparency about the institutional embedding of algorithms). This comprehensive three-level framework creates a deeper understanding of whether and how citizens trust a government that uses algorithms.