Tech Policy 101: Spring 2021 Educational Seminar Series for Congressional and Federal Staff
Event Summary
About This Course
ITIF’s “Tech Policy 101” seminar series explores the technologies, economic theories, and legal and policy frameworks that underpin digital innovation in the 21st century. It is designed to help congressional staffers and federal employees develop a deeper understanding of the way public policies can impact innovation. Staffers are exposed to an array of complex tech policy issues confronting Congress, with the opportunity to discuss and debate the questions and policy challenges presented by new technologies with ITIF analysts and other experts. Participants receive a certificate upon successful completion of the course. The course and certificate, which includes a digital badge for display on LinkedIn, are free of charge.
Seminars will be held one evening per week for six weeks this spring—5:30–6:30 p.m., starting Tuesday, March 16, and continuing consecutive Tuesday evenings until April 20. Seminars will be held virtually. Participants must attend at least five out of the six seminars to receive a certificate.
Download course description. (PDF)
Class Schedule and Structure
A total of six seminar-style classes will run approximately one hour, typically from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Classes will be held virtually starting Tuesday, March 16 and continuing on consecutive Tuesday evenings until April 20.
Each class will consist of roughly one-third presentation by an ITIF analyst, one-third debate between non-ITIF advocates, and one-third class discussion. There will be assigned reading each week, with all materials provided to participants.
Topics To Be Explored
- Introduction to Tech Policy
- Section 230
- Clean Energy Innovation
- Information Technology and Trade
- Industrial Internet and Advanced Manufacturing Technologies
- Broadband
Application Process
Please submit a resume and a short cover letter explaining why you are interested in the program, your prior experience with technology policy, and your current position. Applications should be directed to [email protected] with “Tech Policy 101” as the subject line.
Spring 2021 Syllabus
Tuesday, March 16: Intro to Tech Policy
The first seminar serves as an introduction and overview to technology policy, with a particular focus on technology and competition policies, as well as the political and organization landscape for these issues.
Presenter(s):
- Robert Atkinson, President and Founder, ITIF
Readings:
- David Moschella, Seeing Digital: A Visual Guide to the Industries, Organizations & Careers of the 2020, DXC Technology, April 2018. (Chapters 4 and 11)
- Robert D. Atkinson, “Who’s Who in Internet Politics: A Taxonomy of Information Technology Policy,” ITIF, October 2010.
Tuesday, March 23: Section 230: Intermediary Liability
Who is liable when somebody posts something illegal, or harmful, on the Internet? There are two main laws that cover intermediary liability: the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which addresses copyright infringement, and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which addresses most everything else. Section 230 limits liability for online services and users for third-party content—protecting them both when they remove objectionable content as well as when they do not remove it. However, there is an ongoing debate about whether to keep, repeal, or update this law.
Presenter(s):
- Daniel Castro, Vice President, ITIF & Director, Center for Data Innovation
- Ashley Johnson, Policy Analyst, ITIF
Readings:
- Overview of Section 230: What It Is, Why It Was Created, and What It Has Achieved
- The Exceptions to Section 230: How Have the Courts Interpreted Section 230?
- Fact Checking the Critiques Section 230: What Are the Real Problems?
- How Other Countries Have Dealt With Intermediary Liability
- Proposals to Reform Section 230
Tuesday, March 30: Clean Energy Innovation
In early 2021, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released a report outlining critical near-term actions (2021-2030) to put the United States on a path to net-zero emissions by midcentury. ITIF Senior Policy Analyst Colin Cunliff, one of the authors of the report, discusses key findings, including technology and innovation challenges to decarbonization and the policy measures needed to address them.
Presenter(s):
- David Hart, Senior Fellow, ITIF
- Colin Cunliff, Senior Policy Analyst, ITIF
Readings:
- Consensus Study Report Committee, “Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions,” The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, January 2021. (Read Executive Summary)
Tuesday, April 6: Information Technology and Trade
Supporting innovation in the United States requires open access to global markets via fair, clear, and enforceable trade rules. The Internet and digital technologies allow all firms to more easily engage in trade. Yet, trade rules with many U.S. trading partners, and at the multilateral level at the World Trade Organization, have failed to keep up with the modern nature of trade, which creates space for countries to enact new ways (such as those around the use and transfer of data) to disadvantage U.S. firms and their goods and services. This session will discuss the major technology-trade policy issues and possible solutions.
Presenter(s):
- Nigel Cory, Associate Director, Trade Policy, ITIF
Readings:
- Nigel Cory and Stephen Ezell, “Crafting an Innovation-Enabling Trade in Services Agreement,” ITIF, June 2016.
- Nigel Cory, “The Ten Worst Digital Protectionism and Innovation Mercantilist Policies of 2018,” ITIF, January 2019.
- Nigel Cory, “Cross-Border Data Flows: Where Are the Barriers, and What Do They Cost?” ITIF, May 2017.
Tuesday, April 13: Industrial Internet and Advanced Manufacturing Technologies
“Modern information and communications technologies—such as AI, big data, IoT, cloud computing, robotics, 3D-printing—are transforming modern industrial practices and business models. The companies and countries that most effectively leverage these technologies will position themselves for leadership in the advanced manufacturing economy of tomorrow, but smart corporate practices and effective government policies will be needed to effectively facilitate this transformation.”
Presenter(s):
- Stephen Ezell, Vice President, Global Innovation Policy, ITIF
Readings:
- Robert D. Atkinson and Stephen J. Ezell, “The Manufacturing Evolution: How AI Will Transform Manufacturing & the Workforce of the Future,” ITIF, August 2019.
- Stephen J. Ezell, “Why Manufacturing Digitalization Matters and How Countries Are Supporting It,” ITIF, April 2018. (Read Pages 1-12)
Tuesday, April 20: Broadband Policy
This seminar provides an introduction to major issues in broadband policy. After an overview of the different types of broadband access technology and industry dynamics, we will explore opportunities to close the digital divide, both in terms of infrastructure availability in rural areas and adoption barriers like affordability. We will also explore questions around open Internet issues and debates around the regulatory classification of broadband.
Presenter(s):
- Doug Brake, Broadband and Spectrum Policy, ITIF
Readings:
- TBA
