Digital Government: Building Products, Programs, and Policies for the Public

Federal, state, and local government agencies are responsible for delivering critical services to people in need. Yet billions of dollars in public benefits fail to reach millions of vulnerable families every year because our social safety net isn’t designed of, by, and for the people it serves.

This course examines the birth, evolution, and core practices of digital government. We begin with the foundations of the field: its history, key actors, and core concepts. We then move through the real-world impacts of digital government on service delivery, government operations, and policymaking. We conclude with a look at the future of this growing field and its critical role in shaping civic trust.

The course is designed for graduate students across the School of Information and Goldman School of Public Policy. It combines lectures, practitioner guest speakers, preparatory readings, in-class case studies and debates, and a substantive final project. Students with and without technical backgrounds will find this course challenging and applicable to their goals.

By the end of this course, students will be equipped:

• To work within or adjacent to digital government teams at the federal, state, and local level; and
• To imagine and advocate for more equitable approaches to building products, programs, organizational cultures, and policies that better serve people.

No prior experience in software engineering, product management, or design is required. This course is intended for students interested in understanding how government technology and service design shape public outcomes and civic trust. Students should come with genuine curiosity about the intersection of technology, policy, and public service.