Technology Policy

Familiarity with federal, local, and international policy institutionsExperience working with Congress or federal agenciesExperience working 'on the Hill' or lobbying Experience in the private sector, including government relations roles or with trade associationsJobs or internships with think tank or research organizationsFamiliarity with the policy positions and roles at relevant companies (e.g. Facebook, Google, Twitter).Ability to understand relevant laws and explain the impact of key provisions on policy and productdesign Experience working with technologists and an ability to translate technical

Understanding priorities and perspectives of key stakeholders, including

Ability to articulate the ethical issues related to the use of technology

Experience with/understanding of big data and analyticsExperience collaborating with diverse stakeholders and organizations

concepts into accessible language for policy managers

the press, policymakers, advocates, economists, and companies

and big data

Many positions in tech policy don’t have the word “Policy” in the job title, so it’s important to talk to people and learn about which positions within the company influence and work on policy. For example, one alum is on anengineering team but she helps them navigate the policy implications of their work. She asks questionssuch as, “We can engineer this, but should we?” National security and technology policy are becomingmore connected as every new technology also has the potential to become a weapon.

There are several different areas you could choose to focus on, such as privacy, cybersecurity, dronetraffic management, internet services, AI ethics, education, or trade policy.

Desired Skills and Experience

Technology policy touches upon many different areas while issuessurrounding technology can rapidly change. Read widely and stay up-to-date on the opinions and challenges facing all stakeholders. Talk to asmany people as you can to understand all the different perspectives atplay. It’s a smaller field than others, so network to learn and show humilitywhile exploring.

Organizations to Consider

Information Technology and Innovation Foundation Information Technology Industry Council (B)Microsoft (B)Science & Technology Policy Institute (STPI) (G)TechFreedom (B)Twitter (B)US Department of Defense (B*)US Department of Energy (B*)US Department of Homeland Security (B*)US House Committee on Science, Space, andTechnology (B*)

Recruiting Process

Salary Expectati

Below is a list of organizations to consider. Click on the hyperlinks to access each organization's internship/jobpage. Code: U (undergrad only), G (grad only), B (both), * U.S. Citizens Only.

Amazon Public Policy (G)Amazon Web Services (B)American Civil Liberties Union (B)Brookings Institute (B)Center for Democracy and Technology (B)Center for Security & Emerging Technology(CSET) at Georgetown University Center for Strategic and International Studies(CSIS) (B)Central Intelligence Agency (B*) Computer and Communications IndustryAssociation (B)Digital Chamber of Commerce (B)Federal Bureau of Investigation (B*)

Where Sanford Students Have InternedAmazon Public PolicyAmazon Web ServicesApple BrighthiveBrookingsFacebookGoogleInformation Technology Industry CouncilNational Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)Triangle Privacy Research Hub

Attend Duke Center on Law & Technology conference. Attend events at Duke’s Center on Science & Technology Policy or help with their podcastJoin student groups such as Duke Ethical Tech, or Duke Interdisciplinary Student Innovators (DISI). Find volunteer and research opportunities with professors and programs such as Bass ConnectionsConsider relevant certifications offered through the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Undergraduates: Apply for the Huang Fellows Program (deadline in November). Consider the Science &Society Certificate Program or Duke's Focus Program in Science and the Public. Take courses in law, AI & ethics, economics, business, computer science and engineering. ProfessorJay Pearson’s ethics course is highly recommended. Take classes with law or engineering students that expose you to different perspectives.

What to Do at Duke

Alumni Perspective: Abe Katz, MPP'18 - Facebook

Develop “cross-functional” experienceThis term “cross-functional” is sort of tech jargon for “I work with lots of different roles within the company” (such as software engineers, product managers, designers, user researchers, data scientists, partner managers, etc). If your resume doesn’t have obvious examples of successfully navigating an environment that has lots of stakeholders with divergent priorities, find opportunities to shore that up.Good news: there are lots of opportunities to create this narrative, particularly through consultingengagements, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find those experiences; Bad news: by nature, managing crossfunctional partners can be a frustrating practice. But, it’s something you can gain skills in quickly if youpractice it as a craft.

Data-driven decision-makingEvery bullet on your resume better have a verb and a number (use a template like “STAR” or something toforce yourself into this) and you will catch a recruiter’s eye. But more deeply than this, in describing yourprofessional experience (in cover letters or interviews), find ways of quantifying your work: quantify theproblems as well as the results of what you did. At least at Facebook, numbers drive decisions. It can bean incredibly, surprisingly democratized environment, where Vice Presidents are receptive to cool ideas ifthere is compelling data behind the proposal. I don’t think that’s characteristic of other industries. So toget a foot in the door, you should be well-versed in framing problems, decisions, and results in a data-forward way.

Cast a wide net for job titlesThere are a lot of interesting roles for an MPP that don’t have the word “policy” in them. For example, my“function” is called “Operations” and my job title was “Project Manager” when I started (now I’m a peoplemanager). In addition, “Policy” means so many darned things in tech: content policy (what’s allowed onsocial media, for example); privacy policy (what are our protocols, how do we comply with regulationssuch as GDPR or financial controls); cyber security and counterintelligence; not to mention more “legal”functions that might have the term “public policy” in the job title, such as lobbying functions; or customerservice and sales to governments and politicians (if a head of state has a Facebook page, it’ssomebody’s job at Facebook to manage that relationship), “partnerships” with industry association andNGOs, and so on.

Have your own specific questions and curiositiesBecause the term “tech policy” is a hopelessly huge umbrella, you should get clear on what excites youmore specifically, among the things I listed above. Do you care about Section 230 (speech rights, liability,and content moderation)? Anti-trust law? Fintech & cryptocurrency? Data sovereignty? Effects of apps oncognitive development among children (this was a major focus of congresspeople’s questioning ofZuckerberg, Dorsey, and Pichai today, 25 March). Get specific and focused, know the names of the techreporters in those areas and read their articles, know what the top contending policy alternatives arenationally or internationally, and so on.

Updated: March 2021