Policy as Code: From Hammurabi to Modern Ethics and Policy-Making
As humans, we use the word “code” to refer to various systems of principles or guidelines that serve as the foundation for decision-making and behavior. For example, we talk about genetic code, which refers to the specific sequence of nucleotides in DNA that determines the inherited characteristics of an organism, and computer code, which refers to a set of instructions that a computer can execute to perform a specific task.
But did you know that even ancient civilizations such as the Babylonians had systems of principles or guidelines that served as the foundation for decision-making and behavior? In fact, the concept of a “code” has been present in human societies for centuries.
One example of this is Hammurabi’s Code, a set of 282 laws that governed the ancient Babylonian society. These laws were inscribed on a stone pillar and served as a foundation for decision-making and behavior in the society. In this sense, Hammurabi’s Code can be seen as a “code of ethics,” a set of principles or values that guide the behavior of an individual or group.
Today, the concept of a “code of ethics” continues to be an important aspect of how we understand and approach decision-making and behavior. In my work, I am passionate about applying this concept to the world of government policy making. By viewing policy as “code,” we can apply the same principles and processes used in software development to the creation and implementation of policy.
One key aspect of this concept is the idea of “Policy as Code.” This suggests that policy should be written, reviewed, and voted on in a manner similar to code commits in the open-source community. In the open-source community, code commits are suggested changes to source code submitted by the community for review and consideration before being accepted by others based on prearranged voting protocols. This process ensures that code is properly tested and reviewed before being implemented. Similarly, in the policy-making process, a “bill” must be written, reviewed, and voted on before it can become a “law.” By viewing policy as “code,” we can ensure that the policy is properly tested and reviewed before being implemented, resulting in more effective and beneficial policies for society.
I believe that this approach has the potential to revolutionize policy making and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of policies. By using machine learning and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) to interpret policies, we can improve safety, transparency, and democratic processes, and reduce policy response times.
I hope that this helps to illustrate the importance and potential of viewing policy as “code” in the policy-making process.
My name is Camaron Foster, and I’m passionate about applying Machine Learning to Government-Policy Modeling, creating Government-sanctioned Decentralized-Autonomous Organizations over Open-Source-Protocols to improve safety, transparency, and democratic processes, and reducing policy response times “policy lag time.”
Government ML-Policy Modeling
2. DAOs & Oracles
3. Public Safety
Camaron Foster | FosterAI