Change of State: Information, Policy, and Power by Sandra Braman

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Recommended: Government control and privacy

The effects of new digital technologies and their policy implications result in a complex issue that is always evolving. “Change of State: Information, Policy, and Power” by Sandra Braman presents a breakdown of policy development for the constant evolution of the technological world and how it affects the state and society. She theorizes that the ‘information state’ is in the process of replacing the welfare state, to the detriment of the citizen and the democratic process. Braman “looks at the ways in which governments are deliberate, explicit, and consistent in their use of information policy to exercise power, exploring not only such familiar topics as intellectual property rights and privacy but also areas in which policy is highly effective but little understood,” (The MIT Press 2014). She argues that development of information policy cause transformation in the nature of governance, making the state more powerful and the citizen lose their rights, freedom and identity.
Chapter one is an examination of different definitions of ‘information’ to support the concept of ‘informa...

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