Coding for Policy and Regulating Design

This course is intended to acquaint Berkeley graduate students with literature from a range of disciplines that considers whether, when and how to embed policy in technical systems. The course will draw on theoretical literature about embodying values in technology design, consider the various entry points available for influencing technological design in the direction of policy or social values, and through case studies identify and imagine mechanisms for determining when technology should be viewed as "policy-making" and how various actors — technologists, policymakers, endusers — can participate in decisions about what policies the technology enables.

The course welcomes students with a variety of backgrounds, including technical computer science and engineering students and law and social science students interested in understanding the opportunities and challenges present in embedding policy in technical systems.