"Microlegislation" is a term for small pieces of proposed law that cater--sometimes unexpectedly--to narrow interests. Political scientist Amy McKay coined the term. She studied the 564 amendments to the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") considered by the Senate Finance Committee in 2009, as well as the positions of 866 lobbying groups and their campaign contributions. She documented instances where lobbyist comments--on health-care research, vaccine services, and other provisions--were translated directly into microlegislation in the form of amendments. And she found that those groups' financial contributions to specific senators on the committee increased the amendments' chances of passing.

Nathan E. Sanders is a data scientist and an affiliate with the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University. Bruce Schneier is a security technologist and a fellow and lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School. Lobbying has long been part of the give-and-take among policymakers and advocates working to balance their competing interests, but some corporate entities are adept at using legal-but-sneaky strategies for tilting the rules in their favor. AI tools could make these kinds of sneaky strategies more widespread and effective. A natural opening for this technology comes in the form of microlegislation, a term for small pieces of proposed law that cater to narrow interests.