Cybercratic Representation and Algorationality: Rethinking Democratic Legitimacy in the Age of Algorithmic Governance

This article frames the integration of AI-assisted decision-making systems into public administration not merely as technological advancement, but as a paradigmatic shift that reconfigures core principles of democratic legitimacy, political representation, and citizenship. It interprets the rising influence of algorithmic governance as indicative of a structural legitimacy crisis that exceeds the explanatory scope of classical theories of representation. To analyze this transformation, the study introduces two original conceptual contributions: Cybercratic Representation and Algorationality. Cybercratic representation refers to the delegation of decision-making authority to algorithmic systems that are unelected and unaccountable, detached from foundational democratic mechanisms such as elections, consent, and public oversight. Algorationality denotes the displacement of ethical, political, and social considerations in favor of a purely technical rationality governed by quantifiable, data-driven logic. Drawing on international case studies, the article demonstrates how algorithmic governance undermines democratic norms and fosters the emergence of a technocratic regime devoid of representational legitimacy and accountability. By addressing the normative implications of these developments, the study contributes to the conceptual understanding of the legitimacy crisis in digital public administration and calls for a fundamental rethinking of democratic accountability in the context of the algorithmic state.