Technology is the spinal cord of government

The uncomfortable reality is that the problems with government are not technology — they are institutional and policy cruft and sclerosis that has built up over decades. However, over those decades, technology has become the spinal cord of government. Technical infrastructure is now the infrastructure of *everything* and can accelerate or obstruct policy goals. Yet the policy establishment has struggled to accept this.

Over the last year in the United States, this lesson has been taught in the most brutal manner possible. During this time, Wired and 404 Media have emerged as journalistic powerhouses, and it's not an accident — they have long understood the nexus between technology and power.

This talk examines the nexus between technology and power, how separating policy from the technology it depends on has been a root cause of government dysfunction for decades, and what it might look like to reorient policy around the capability to implement policy. It will also explore the central role that design plays in designing and implementing policy that is actually viable in practice.