I think the problem is that, even for those who have the right intentions and rigor in mind, there may be decisions that seem clearly handle-able by rules that

I think the problem is that, even for those who have the right intentions and rigor in mind, there may be decisions that seem clearly handle-able by rules that don't seem overly simplified. There's always the possibility (inevitability?) that even the most careful and conscious of designers will overlook an unintended consequence. This is hardly a revolutionary idea: it essentially boils down to "code has bugs". That's what this kind of research is designed to do: come up with a framework for understanding when "locally-controlled decisions" are required as opposed to codified rules.