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Public service level and human development in the context of digitalization

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Abstract

The integration of information technology into various industries has a significant impact on our societal landscape. This study explores the impact of public service levels on human development, especially in the developing digital era. Using data collected from 31 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) in China between 2011 and 2019, the study finds that the improvement of public service levels promotes human development. Meanwhile, digitalization strengthens the positive impact of public services on human development. The paper confirms the positive effects of digital development, providing an empirical basis for promoting the integration of public services and digitalization. The government should strengthen the digital development of public services to provide new driving forces for achieving human development.

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Notes

  1. Interpretation of the 14th Five-Year Plan for Development of the Digital Economy: https://www.ndrc.gov.cn/xxgk/jd/jd/202201/t20220121_1312588_ext.html.

  2. It should be noted that because the data on online government service capacity only span 2015–2019, the number of years of data for this variable is less than that for the others.

  3. It should be noted that the use of the lagged term for public service level reduces the number of observations in the analysis.

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  1. School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Qimeng Cai

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  1. Qimeng Cai
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Appendix 1

Appendix 1

The 31 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) in the paper are: Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei Province, Shanxi Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Liaoning Province, Jilin Province, Heilongjiang Province, Shanghai, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, Anhui Province, Fujian Province, Jiangxi Province, Shandong Province, Henan Province, Hubei Province, Hunan Province, Guangdong Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Hainan Province, Chongqing, Sichuan Province, Guizhou Province, Yunnan Province, Tibet Autonomous Region, Shaanxi Province, Gansu Province, Qinghai Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

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Cai, Q. Public service level and human development in the context of digitalization. J. Soc. Econ. Dev. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40847-023-00293-6

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