Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Data Is Personal: We Should Treat It As Such, Kaleb Dunn

Student Papers in Public Policy

The rise of the internet as a fact of daily life is the defining element of the modern age. Widespread use of the internet has fundamentally altered entire industries, and much of American life has migrated online. Dating is augmented by online dating; shopping by online shopping; television by internet streaming.

The digitization of American life has brought with it considerable benefits, including great convenience and innumerable efficiencies, but it has not come without a cost. Although there are many business models used by internet companies, many of the now-largest companies in the world have converged on one entity upon …

Implement Multi-Factor Authentication On All Federal Systems Now, Megan Walsh

Student Papers in Public Policy

The White House Office of Management and Budget recorded 31,107 information security incidents in fiscal year 2018. The most common attacks to gain access to a user’s login credentials were e-mail/phishing, web-based attack, and brute force entering of username/password combinations. Given this high number of incidents, strong reliance on computers for everyday business, and common attacks that target passwords, information security should be a priority for information technology administrators working in federal agencies.

Removing Racially Biased Algorithms In Policing, Andie Lee

Student Papers in Public Policy

Local police departments use algorithm-based programs to do police work and predict crime. Technology has created the police tactic of predictive crime prevention. Police work, however, requires social skills, assessment of the environment, and most importantly human interaction. Automated policing lacks these characteristics. Moreover, the algorithms used to make crime predictions and risk assessments have disproportionately affected minorities.

The Case For Online Ranked-Choice Voting, Rayyan Khan

Student Papers in Public Policy

Maine was the first to embrace ranked-choice voting on a statewide level in 2018, using it for all state and general elections. Maine voters will be the first to use ranked-choice voting in a presidential election in 2020. This system differs from traditional voting in that voters rank candidates rather than choose just one. Supporters of ranked-choice voting tout it as a better model for accurately representing the values of the voting population; however, a study conducted in San Francisco details a potential shortfall referred to as “ballot fatigue” that the theoretically-ideal system may face as it struggles to deal …