Electoral surveys’ influence on the voting processes: a cellular automata model

S.g Alves, N.m Oliveira Neto and M.l Martins

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2002, vol. 316, issue 1, 601-614

Abstract: Nowadays, in societies threatened by atomization, selfishness, short-term thinking, and alienation from political life, there is a renewed debate about classical questions concerning the quality of democratic decision making. In this work a cellular automata model for the dynamics of free elections, based on the social impact theory is proposed. By using computer simulations, power-law distributions for the size of electoral clusters and decision time have been obtained. The major role of broadcasted electoral surveys in guiding opinion formation and stabilizing the “status quo” was demonstrated. Furthermore, it was shown that in societies where these surveys are manipulated within the universally accepted statistical error bars, even a majoritary opposition could be hindered from reaching power through the electoral path.

Keywords: Cellular automata; Voting process; Power laws; Phase transitions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2002
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:316:y:2002:i:1:p:601-614

DOI: 10.1016/S0378-4371(02)01208-6

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