Publications

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Effective Science and Technology Advice for Congress: Comparing Options

August 3, 2020 | Peter Blair

This paper is part of Lincoln’s Technology Assessment Symposium, which was made possible with the support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The paper was authored by Peter D. Blair. Blair is a distinguished senior fellow in the Schar School of Policy and Government of George Mason University. He was previously the executive director for

July 31, 2020 | Zach Graves

Click here to download a PDF of the letter. July 27, 2020The Honorable Nancy PelosiSpeaker, U.S. House of Representatives The Honorable Mitch McConnellMajority Leader, U.S. Senate The Honorable Kevin McCarthyMinority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives The Honorable Charles SchumerMinority Leader, U.S. Senate Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leaders McConnell, Schumer, and McCarthy, The COVID-19 pandemic sparked an

The Realignment X Lincoln Network

July 29, 2020 | Marshall Kosloff

For the past year, Saagar Enjeti, co-host of The Hill‘s Rising with Krystal and Saagar, and I have co-hosted The Realignment podcast. Over 40 plus episodes, we’ve interviewed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Senators Josh Hawley and Tom Cotton, Representative Mike Gallagher, Krystal Ball, Bhaskar Sunkara, J.D. Vance, Megan McArdle, and Jane Coaston, among others.

July 27, 2020 | Marshall Kosloff

Last month, NBC News and the U.K.-based Center for Countering Digital Hate alleged that Google had formally decided to demonetize the conservative digital publication The Federalist over controversial articles about Black Lives Matter. It quickly emerged that NBC‘s initial reporting was inaccurate, with Google subsequently announcing it had not yet prevented The Federalist from using

July 21, 2020 | Alexiaa Jordan

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued safety guidance for election locations, staffers, and voters. Their standard COVID-19 guidance is mentioned. However, they offered more substantive advice that contradicts some states’ recent actions during their primaries. The CDC broadly supports “any feasible options for reducing the number of voters who congregate

July 17, 2020 | Zach Graves

Click here to download a PDF of the letter. Hon. Zoe Lofgren, Chair Hon. Rodney Davis, Ranking Member Committee on House Administration Committee on House Administration U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives Re: Hearing Entitled “Exploring the Feasibility and Security of Technology to Conduct Remote Voting in the House” Dear Chair Lofgren, Ranking

Rebuilding Congress’ Policy Capacity

July 11, 2020 | Zach Graves

Click here to read the full article discussing efforts to modernize Congress. Earlier this month, the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress held a hearing on improving staffing capacity and policy expertise in Congress. A major theme of this discussion was the historical loss of congressional staff capacity, and how to address it. To reverse this

July 9, 2020 | Scott McKaig

Brief of the R Street Institute, Public Knowledge, Lincoln Network, Engine Advocacy, the Innovation Defense Foundation, and the American Antitrust Institute Click here to read the brief.

July 8, 2020 | Joel Thayer

Consumer Technology Association (CTA), a national trade organization representing more than 2,200 tech companies in the United States, recently submitted a petition for Rulemaking Or, In The Alternative, Waiver To Expand Marketing Opportunities For Innovative Technologies. Lincoln’s letter of support of the petition can be downloaded here Ms. Marlene H. Dortch Federal Communications Commission 445

July 6, 2020 | Dan Lips

States should expand absentee balloting but prevent ballot harvesting Forty-six states and the District of Columbia will allow all voters to cast their ballots by mail in November’s election. But a recent analysis from the Pew Research Center shows that most American have not voted by mail–increasing the risk that ballot harvesting will affect election

June 30, 2020 | Alexiaa Jordan

Today the Federal Communications Commission formally designated Chinese telecommunication firms Huawei Technologies Company and ZTE Corporation—and their parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries—as posing national security threats. This move prohibits the use of the $8.3 billion Universal Service Fund, to acquire or maintain equipment from these companies. The FCC’s move to finalize this designation is an important

June 29, 2020 | Alexiaa Jordan

This working paper, co-authored by Lincoln policy analyst Alexiaa Jordan and chief technologist Sean Roberts, provides a technical and policy analysis of absentee voting and vote by mail. Its purpose is to inform the current national debate with an accurate understanding of how vote by mail works and a fair analysis of the benefits and

June 25, 2020 | Dan Lips

In January 2017, former DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson designated election infrastructure to be critical infrastructure. At the time, he was focused on preventing cyber threats from disrupting the electoral process. But three years later, the most critical infrastructure for holding the 2020 election may be one of the nation’s oldest institutions: the U.S. Postal Service.

June 24, 2020 | Dan Lips

On Thursday, Senator Chuck Grassley and nine bipartisan co-sponsors introduced legislation to protect federal watchdogs’ independence. The “Securing Inspector General Independence Act of 2020” comes at a critical time of declining public confidence in government and demonstrates Congressional commitment to independent oversight. in a recent article for The Hill, my former colleague Keith Ashdown and

June 22, 2020 | Zach Graves

40+ Organizations Ask Appropriators to Shift Funding from the Executive Branch to the Legislative Branch The following letter can be downloaded here The Honorable Nita Lowy Chair Committee on AppropriationsUnited States House of Representatives The Honorable Richard ShelbyChair Committee on Appropriations United States Senate The Honorable Kay Granger Ranking Member Committee on AppropriationsUnited States House

How Coronavirus is Minifying Education

June 19, 2020 | Ian Patterson

Parents of school-aged children are rapidly warming to alternative forms of education in light of the coronavirus and distancing measures, new research by Lincoln reveals. As a result, the future is unexpectedly bright for smaller approaches like homeschooling, hybrid models, and micro-schools, while traditional public and private schools appear headed for severe setbacks. Lincoln Studio

June 16, 2020 | Joel Thayer

To ensure that I am behaving responsibly during this COVID-19 pandemic these past few months, I have mostly positioned myself on my couch where my live-in girlfriend and I exhaust all that online streaming services have to offer. Don’t believe me? Well, we are currently streaming ABC’s “Once Upon A Time.” For the unfamiliar, the

June 15, 2020 | Garrett Johnson

Lincoln Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2014 with a mission to help bridge the gap between Silicon Valley and DC from a pro-market, pro-innovation perspective. Since our policy and programming team’s founding in July 2018, we’ve expanded from a team of two to a staff of seven, expanding our projects to new

Congress Must Protect Federal Watchdogs

June 15, 2020 | Dan Lips

By Keith Ashdown, former Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee staff director and Dan Lips, Director of Cyber and National Security Policy President Trump recently fired several of the federal government’s most respected inspectors general–prompting a rare outcry of bipartisan criticism of the White House. Congressional Democrats were instinctively quick to condemn the president’s actions.

June 12, 2020 | Sean Roberts

Communication on the Vote by Mail Process is Required For The Public Trust Across the county vote by mail elections are being ramped up to protect people from having to make the choice of getting sick or doing their civic duty by voting. There has been a rush to accommodate the demand for vote by

June 10, 2020 | Zach Graves

The following letter can be downloaded here June 10, 2020 The Honorable James E. Risch U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee United States Senate 423 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510-6225 Re: Committee Proceedings Should Be Open and Transparent Dear Chairman Risch: We, the undersigned transparency and accountability organizations, write to express our deep concerns regarding a

May 28, 2020 | Sean Roberts

The United States is facing an unforeseen challenge in 2020: holding a presidential election during a pandemic. National leaders have been working to secure American election systems from foreign interference and potential cyberattacks since 2016. We now need to pivot to how we can administer an election when public health concerns require social distancing and

May 20, 2020 | Joel Thayer

WC Docket Nos. 17-287 The D.C. Circuit largely upheld the FCC’s 2018 Restoring Internet Freedom Order (“2018 RIF Order”) in Mozilla v. F.C.C., but the Court requested that the FCC seek comment on three aspects of its 2018 RIF Order (i.e, public safety, pole attachments, and Lifeline). After careful review of the docket, Lincoln Network

USAID’s Timely Digital Strategy

May 13, 2020 | Dan Lips

Recognizing the Need to Confront the Global Spread of Digital Authoritarianism The U.S. Agency for International Development recently unveiled a new digital strategy—detailing plans to leverage technology in foreign aid investments to support countries’ transition to self-reliance. The new approach comes as the United States reconsiders how to answer authoritarian sharp power and promote American

May 13, 2020 | Joel Thayer

We Shouldn’t Let Territorial Federal Agencies Override a Pro-Innovation Decision by the FCC Senator Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., gave a speech on the Senate floor yesterday attacking the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) unanimously approved Order granting Ligado’s application to modify its license. Sen. Inhofe argues: I think by now it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone

How to Build

May 11, 2020 | Marshall Kosloff

In response to Marc Andreessen’s essay It’s Time to Build, Lincoln Network hosted A Time to Build? Institutional Failure and Reform After COVID-19. Marshall Kosloff, Lincoln’s director of outreach and media moderated the webinar panel with Eli Dourado, Mark Lutter, and Marci Harris. We believe that Andreessen’s call to build and reform our institutions has

May 7, 2020 | Joel Thayer

To be competitive in the race to 5G, the U.S. must rely on and support its expert agency – the FCC…. If we have learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the importance of a united front from the government. This is especially true of the United States’ position on 5G, which requires government

May 7, 2020 | Zach Graves

The following testimony was delivered on May 1, 2020. Dear Chairman Hyde-Smith, Ranking Member Murphy, and members of the committee: Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony. Over the past two years, there has been considerable interest and new research surrounding the question of how to enhance science and technology capacity in the legislative branch,

May 1, 2020 | Alexiaa Jordan

“Out of 3,500 congressional staff, less than 20 have any technical background. Decent governance in the 21st century REQUIRES talented technologists to serve in government. ” — Travis Moore, Founder and Director of TechCongress Now, TechCongress has launched a new Congressional Digital Service Fellowship for experienced technologists. Here’s what they’re looking for: Commitment to helping

May 1, 2020 | Alexiaa Jordan

Here at Lincoln, we believe technologists and innovators have an important role to play in addressing our nation’s most pressing problems. So we wanted to highlight tech companies that are supporting our nation and providing services to communities that are struggling. We’ve created a Wiki highlighting the ways that the industry has mobilized to confront the virus.

April 30, 2020 | Marshall Kosloff

Marshall Kosloff, Director of Outreach and Media for Lincoln Network, moderated a virtual panel featuring the following distinguished guests, Eli Dourado, Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Growth and Opportunity. Marci Harris, CEO, and Co-Founder of PopVoxMark Lutter, Founder and Executive Director of the Charter Cities Institute The event was inspired by Marc Andreessen,

April 30, 2020 | Zach Graves

Charting a path forward for enhanced science and technology expertise in Congress Yesterday the Congressional Research Service published a 71 page report, “The Office of Technology Assessment: History, Authorities, Issues, and Options.” As its title suggests, the report covers the history of the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), recent legislative activity, and the recommendations from

The Techlash After COVID-19

April 30, 2020 | Garrett Johnson

The technology industry’s rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic has renewed appreciation for platforms and tools like Facebook and Zoom and given advocates a triumphant narrative to trumpet. But the “techlash” is far from over. COVID-19 and its long-term fallout may mark only the beginning, not the end, of heightened scrutiny of tech. The argument that the tech industry cannot

April 28, 2020 | Zach Graves

Dear Chairman Pai, Commissioner O’Rielly, Commissioner Rosenworcel, Commissioner Carr, and Commissioner Starks, The undersigned organizations, representing millions of taxpayers, write to you in support of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) notice of proposed rulemaking (NRPM) published in the April 3, 2020, Federal Register, “to provide additional opportunities for unlicensed white space devices operating in the

Policy Update for March-April

April 28, 2020 | Zach Graves

The following post was originally set as an email newsletter to our friends and supporters. Re: Lincoln Policy Team Activities for March-April 2020 Dear friends and supporters of Lincoln: Thanks for tuning in again. After narrowly making it back from vacationing in Portugal, I’ve been spending a lot of time getting our new CRM and