Child Impact Statements: Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Political Science and Computer Science

Child Impact Statements (CIS) are instrumental in helping to foreground the concerns and needs of minor community members who are too young to vote and often unable to advocate for themselves politically. While many politicians and policymakers assert they make decisions in the best interests of children, they often lack the necessary information to meaningfully accomplish this. CISs are akin to Environmental Impact Statements in that both give voice to constituents who are often under-represented in policymaking. This paper highlights an interdisciplinary collaboration between Social Science and Computer Science to create a CIS tool for policymakers and community members in Shelby County, TN. Furthermore, this type of collaboration is fruitful beyond the scope of the CIS tool. Social scientists and computer scientists can leverage their complementary skill sets in data management and data interpretation for the benefit of their communities, advance scientific knowledge, and bridge disciplinary divides within the academy.