Date |
Topics |
Readings and HW |
| Aug 31 | What does Information Policy encompass? How does "it" touch our lives? What are the principle US government institutions? Notes | For this meeting, Read: Chapter 1 of Texbook Do: Read the US Constitution (alternatively, see this version) and identify information policy statements, and briefly mention their implementation. |
| Sept 7 | Labor Day, University closed | For this meeting, Read: Do: |
| Sept 14 | What are the components of the policy context? What technological pressures have emerged on information policies? What are some of the major components of information policy? Notes | For this meeting, Read: Chapters 2, 11 Do: |
| Sept 21 | What are the information policy aspects of each branch of government? Notes | For this meeting, Read: Chapters 3, 4, 5; Executive Order 13011 Do: |
| Sept 28 | What are the underlying forces that shape information policy? How do they interact? Notes | For this meeting, Read: Mueller's paper Do: |
| Oct 5 | What are the objectives of the NII, and how is "it" emerging? Why was this initiative undertaken? | For this meeting, Read: The Three C's of Cyberspace, Report of the NII Advisory Council Do: |
| Oct 12 | What are the economic issues? How can we think about the economics of information? What is the impact of these methods on practices? Notes | For this meeting, Read: Do: |
| Oct 19 | What is Universal Service, where did it come from, and why is it relevant to information policy? What is the e-rate program? Notes | For this meeting, Read: Progress and Freedom Foundation's position, Description of e-rate and advocacy from the Benton Foundation, Mueller's historical perspective. Also, scan the National Taxpayers Union page. Do: After the readings and the class discussion, prepare a well-reasoned paper that articulates your position on the issue of universal service in general, and the e-rate in particular. Send me the paper in electronic form; I will make them available to the class for a future follow-up discussion of this topic. |
| Oct 26 | What is special about government information? Why do we need access to government information? What kinds of government information apply? Notes | For this meeting, Read: Chapters 8 and 9 Do: |
| Nov 2 | What are the important policy instruments for government information? How did they evolve and how do they work? What are the pressures on the "traditional" mechanisms? | For this meeting, Read: Citizen's Guide to FOIA and Privacy Act (up to p. 35); Executive Order 12958 Do: For this meeting, prepare questions for class discussion based on this reading and Ch. 8 and 9. |
| Nov 9 | What are the dimensions of intellectual property policy? What aspects of intellectual property are under pressure? How well do the proposed solutions work? Notes | For this meeting, Read: Goldhaber's paper, Intellectual Property Primer, browse the CPSR IP page, and read Ghosh's article. Do: For this meeting, prepare questions for class discussion on Intellectual Property |
| Nov 16 | What is the relationship between intellectual property, electronic commerce, and network security? What are the dimensions of the debate in cryptography and security? Notes | For this meeting, Read: Reagle's article, Section II of the Magaziner Report, Do: For this meeting, prepare questions for class discussion |
| Nov 23 | How have issues surrounding privacy been dealt with? What is the basis for privacy? How are standards different in various applications? Notes | For this meeting, Read: Chapter 7, Review the Application of OECD guidelines (focus on material up to p. 19), Do:For this meeting, prepare questions for class discussion |
| Nov 30 | International Issues/GII Notes | For this meeting, Read: OECD GII Report Do: |
| Dec 7 | Summary and Review | For this meeting, Read: Do: |
| Dec 14 | Final Exam | . |