Tech & Public Policy (TPP) Program

Funder: Project Liberty Foundation in partnership with Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy

Geographic Scope: United States (primary focus), with international research collaborations

Focus Areas:

• Social media effects on polarization and voting behavior
• Misinformation and digital literacy
• Police training and bias reduction through virtual reality
• Government modernization and bureaucratic efficiency
• Critical race theory debates in local governance
• Metaverse and augmented reality implications for data use
• Electoral processes and information consumption
• Subjective well-being impacts of social media use

Eligibility:

• Academic researchers and scholars
• Faculty from Georgetown University and partner institutions (Stanford, Sciences Po, Harvard, MIT)

Award Recipients (2022-2023):

• 8+ grantees presented research progress in 2024
• Notable researchers: Professor Tiago Ventura (WhatsApp/voting behavior), Professor Jonathan Ladd (Facebook/polarization), Professor Rebecca Johnson (school board polarization)

Research Outcomes:

• Multi-country studies on social media effects
• Evidence on misinformation impacts on voting
• Analysis of Facebook use and college-educated polarization
• Studies on digital literacy interventions
• Research on local governance and social media influence

Leadership:

• Michelle De Mooy, Director of TPP
• Maria Cancian, Dean of the McCourt School of Public Policy
• Jeb Bell, Head of Strategic Insights and Director of the Project Liberty Institute

Background:
The TPP program supports rigorous academic research to inform policy-making and public opinion on responsible technology use and its societal impacts.