Technological Foot‑Dragging as Policy

A political strategy that deliberately slows adoption and deployment of emerging technologies (AI, agentic systems, ubiquitous sensors) to buy time for institutions to adapt, legislate, or reconfigure industrial incentives. Unlike a moratorium, foot‑dragging is staged as selective delays, procurement pauses, and regulatory frictions tied to electoral signaling and cabinet-level appointments. — If embraced by high‑level actors (vice presidents, presidents, agencies) 'foot‑dragging' can become an actionable governance frame that shifts where and how technology is regulated, funded, and deployed across federal and state lines.