The Pitfalls and Possibilities of the Measurement Revolution for National Security

Publication Year
2020
Publisher
War on the Rocks
Abstract

Because the trifecta of big data, the “Internet of Things,” and machine learning creates tremendous potential for quantifying human behavior. From tracking the spread of diseases to measuring refugee integration, data that were impossible to gather even a decade ago can now be used to inform policy decisions with great precision. The paralyzing issue for today’s policy leaders is how to figure out which data-driven claims are credible and which are not. Nowhere is this more true than in national security policy, where hard-to-interpret data abound and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Citation

War on the Rocks, 2020

Publication Topic
Interstate Conflict and Competition
Politics and Public Opinion
Country
Publication Type
Policy Article