Volume 1 Number 1  2026 presents a collection of scholarly works examining the transformation of democracy, governance, and public policy in the digital era. This edition highlights how technological change, political institutions, and welfare governance increasingly shape democratic practices and citizen-state relations in emerging democracies. The discussions focus on contemporary challenges such as digital political communication, disinformation, algorithmic governance, electoral integrity, social protection, decentralization, and the changing dynamics of political power at both national and local levels. The articles collectively emphasize the growing influence of digital technologies and data-driven governance on democratic accountability, public trust, political participation, and institutional performance. At the same time, this issue critically explores how structural inequalities, power concentration, and evolving state capacities continue to affect democratic quality and governance outcomes. By bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives from political science, governance studies, public administration, and digital society research, this inaugural edition seeks to contribute to broader academic debates on democracy and governance in rapidly changing political environments.