The other typical method is for an expert to simply tell policy makers what their decision ought to be, Felten said. This tactic can be overbearing and officials simply stop listening, he added.

"A better approach is to start asking them questions," Felten said, comparing the situation to helping a friend from out of town choose a restaurant. "How much do you want to spend? Do you have a car? Are you a foodie or do you just want some fuel?" Armed with this knowledge, you can give your friend a much more nuanced and appropriate answer, Felten said.

This is easily applied to dealings with elected and appointed officials, particularly by helping them "eliminate options that are really undesirable," Felten said.

"I knew about this before I went to government but I didn't fully appreciate [it] until I spent time working there," he added.

One activist who spoke during another event at USENIX on Tuesday also called for technologists to get involved in political life, albeit not necessarily in an actual government job.