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Crowdsourcing as a Tool of Interaction Between the Population and the Authorities
The article discusses the possibility of introducing crowdsourcing in the practice of public administration. It also describes the use of the said technology for solution of a wide range of topical social problems. The article highlights the advantages, which potentially allow achieving a totally new level of governance. The authors analyze the results of study of the local communities' attitudes towards crowdsourcing and its potential use in state and public administration. The research respondents included representatives of the Russian population, as well as experts who either had a certain experience in crowdsourcing activities or who were involved in practical arrangement of such projects. Among the key areas of focus in the field of crowdsourcing application for improved functioning of public authorities, the respondents identify the following: control over the public authorities while solving the problems critical for the local population, informing the state bodies about such issues and development of relevant tech-savvy strategies for their solutions. The study results suggest that despite the need in such practice from the point of view of the regional population, the current level of crowdsourcing development is not enough for its active and efficient use, resulting in solution of social and state problems.