Former Obama Assistant: Technology Is 'Crucial To The Country's Economic Future'

When former special assistant to President Obama took her position at the beginning of the president’s first term, she knew it would be an uphill battle to put technology at the forefront of the federal government’s concerns. The country, as she put it, was ’sliding into an abyss’ economically.

’My job title was a deal. There had not been a science/tech/innovation policy person involved with the national economic council before the Obama administration came in. The actual idea was that in making economic policy we should be keeping technology in mind,’ Crawford said.

However, she fought tooth and nail to prove that technology and innovative policies would help the country in ways ranging from education policy to advancing health care.

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’There were glimmerings that this was going to be crucial to the country’s economic future,’ she said.

While the Obama administration has since pioneered the use of cutting-edge technology civically, Crawford called bringing technology to the table ’guerilla warfare.’

’Technology is not just a ministerial tool you use to implement the decisions of an economist about what should happen in America, but rather an essential substrate for everything we want to achieve as a country,’ she said.

As the company turns toward a new president this November, Crawford encourages techies to look into public service.

’My plea here is to get many more people who deeply understand the role of technology in human life to serve in government at some point in their careers,’ Crawford said.

’We really need your expertise,’ she added.