Human Agency Under Consequential State: A Policy Framework for Correction, Revalidation, and Recoverable Consequences

Summary

Policy paper. This is the policy paper (SSRN 7509878). It is distinct from the research paper, Human Agency Under Consequential State: Correction, Revalidation, and Recoverable Consequences in Persistent Computational Systems (SSRN 7496758), and is not a version of it.

Persistent computational systems can preserve the effects of earlier classifications, scores, inferences, and decisions after the state that supported them has changed. This paper argues that correction is incomplete when the source record changes but materially dependent consequences remain operative. It distinguishes correction from revalidation and develops a Consequence Revalidation Framework for deciding whether continuing consequences retain adequate authority. It introduces corrective continuity: the capacity of a valid correction to remain effective across the decision and consequence pathways through which superseded state would otherwise continue to affect a person over time.

The paper describes an operational lifecycle of correction, dependency, provenance, participation, revalidation, remedy, and closure.

Evidence status: Policy analysis and proposed framework. It does not report new empirical results.

Record note: SSRN title correction requested September 23, 2026. The repository record may temporarily display the earlier research-paper title.