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Saturday July 19, 2008

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Social Norms

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Obama Victory: Giving Affirmative Action Its Due

Hugh B. Price, June 24, 2008, Real Clear Politics

Hugh B. Price argues that the growing acceptance of diversity that fueled Senator Obama's victory was due to affirmative action, which unquestionably has made our robustly diverse nation a more perfect union. Read More

Social Norms, Affirmative Action, Politics

BOOK

Save to My PortfolioSouled Out

E.J. Dionne, Jr., March 01, 2008

E. J. Dionne explains why the era of the Religious Right—and the crude exploitation of faith for political advantage—is over. Read More

Social Norms, U.S. Politics, Religion, Social Issues

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioA Hybrid Epidemic Model: Combining the Advantages of Agent-based and Equation-based Approaches

Georgiy Bobashev, Joshua M. Epstein, D. Michael Goedecke and Feng Yu, Winter 2007, Winter Simulation Conference

With Feng Yu, Brookings Senior Fellow Joshua M. Epstein and Nonresident Fellows Georgiy V. Bobashev and D. Michael Goedecke introduce a hybrid Agent-based and Equation-based model that can dramatically save time and can better describe epidemiological processes involving human behavioral response. Read More

Social Norms, Agent-based Models

PAST EVENT

Save to My PortfolioAgent-Based Modeling and Spatial Population Dynamics Workshop

Friday, December 07, 2007
12:00 PM to 05:00 PM
Washington, DC

The Brookings Center on Social and Economic Dynamics and the Metropolitan Policy Program jointly hosted an NICHD funded Agent Based Modeling and Spatial Population Dynamics Workshop at the Brookings Institution. Researchers from across the country attended the workshop to discuss current projects, to gain insight into agent-based modeling, and to unearth issues for future research collaboration. Read More

Demographics, Social Norms, Migration, Agent-based Models

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioA Complex Systems Approach to Understanding and Reversing the Obesity Epidemic

Ross A. Hammond, November 08, 2007, 2007 Health Challenge Think Tank

An event brought together top international obesity experts—from academia, government, industry, and non-profit—to work toward a comprehensive approach to the worldwide obesity pandemic. Brookings’s Ross Hammond discussed how insights and techniques pioneered at CSED can play a key role in facilitating an integrated approach. Read More

Health Care, Social Norms, Global Health

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioInnovation Diffusion in Heterogeneous Populations: Contagion, Social Influence, and Social Learning

H. Peyton Young, October 2007, CSED Working Paper No. 51

H. Peyton Young analyzes the effect of incorporating heterogeneity into three broad classes of models -- contagion, social influence, and social learning. Read More

Social Norms, Agent-based Models

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioCoupled Contagion Dynamics of Fear and Disease: Mathematical and Computational Explorations

Joshua M. Epstein, Jon Parker, Derek Cummings and Ross A. Hammond, October 2007, CSED Working Paper No. 50

Coupled Contagion Dynamics of Fear and Disease: Mathematical and Computational ExplorationsCSED Working Paper # 50 by Joshua M. Epstein, Jon Parker, Derek Cummings, and Ross A. Hammond (October 2007). Read More

Social Norms, Agent-based Models

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioExploring Price-Independent Mechanisms in the Obesity Epidemic

Ross A. Hammond and Joshua M. Epstein, August 2007, CSED Working Paper No. 48

CSED Working Paper #48 by Ross A. Hammond and Joshua M. Epstein (August 2007) Read More

Social Norms, Agent-based Models

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioAgent Based Modeling: Population Health from the Bottom Up

Joshua M. Epstein, July 13, 2007, National Institutes of Health

Presentation by Joshua M. Epstein (07/13/07) Read More

Health Care, Social Norms, Agent-based Models

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioComplex Systems Approaches to Population Health

Joshua M. Epstein, May 30, 2007, National Institutes of Health

Presentation by Joshua M. Epstein (05/30/07) Read More

Health Care, Social Norms, Agent-based Models, Technology

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Possible and the Impossible in Multi-Agent Learning

H. Peyton Young, April 2007, CSED Working Paper # 47

Peyton H. Young surveys work on learning in games and delineates the boundary between forms of learning that lead to Nash equilibrium and forms that lead to weaker notions of equilibrium (or none at all). Read More

Social Norms, Agent-based Models

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioAre We Born Prejudiced?

Ross A. Hammond, March 13, 2007, New Scientist

Article on Ross A. Hammond (03/17/07) Read More

Social Norms, Agent-based Models

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioPandemic Influenza and the Value of International Travel Restrictions

Georgiy V. Bobashev, Diane K. Wagener, Joshua M. Epstein, Feng Yu, D. Michael Goedecke and Robert J. Morris, December 2006, CSED Working Paper # 46

CSED Working Paper #46 by Joshua M. Epstein, D. Michael Goedecke, Feng Yu, Robert J. Morris, Diane K. Wagener, and Georgiy V. Bobashev (December 2006) Read More

Health Care, Social Norms, Agent-based Models

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioInnovation Diffusion in Heterogeneous Populations

H. Peyton Young, December 2006, CSED Working Paper #45

People may realize different benefits and costs from the innovation, or have different beliefs about its benefits and costs, hear about it at different times, or delay in acting on their information. Peyton H. Young analyzes the dynamics arising from different sources of heterogeneity in a completely general setting without placing parametric restrictions on the distribution of the relevant characteristics. Read More

Social Norms, Business, Agent-based Models

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioSocial Influences and Smoking Behavior

Robert Axtell, Steven Durlauf, Joshua M. Epstein, Ross A. Hammond, Ben Klemens, Jon Parker, Zirui Song, Thomas Valente and H. Peyton Young, February 2006, The Brookings Institution

The objectives of this project were to conduct a comprehensive study of social influences on smoking behavior using an agent-based modeling approach. Read More

Social Norms, Agent-based Models

In Brief

Policy analysis generally considers how individuals respond to incentives, such as prices. However, since individuals are influenced by society and social norms—rules of conduct among the people they interact with—public policies can be designed to encourage change at the group level as well as at the individual level. Brookings experts explore such policy approaches.

Featured Experts

Joshua M. Epstein

Joshua M. Epstein

Director, Center on Social and Economic Dynamics

A pioneer in agent-based computational modeling, Josh Epstein has recently done groundbreaking work on epidemics and bioterrorism. He has used computational modeling to study civil violence and smoking behavior.  


Read More

H. Peyton Young

H. Peyton Young

Senior Fellow, Economic Studies

Peyton Young is an expert on social norms and how they affect the design of policy. He has also written extensively on political representation, voting, and distributive justice. He is the James Meade Professor of Economics at Oxford University.
Read More

Carol Graham

Carol Graham

Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Foreign Policy
Charles Robinson Chair in Foreign Policy Studies

Carol Graham’s research focuses on poverty, inequality, public health, and novel measures of well-being. Her projects have included a focus on the developing world and Latin America.
Read More

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Spotlight

Research ProjectLatin America Initiative

The Latin America Initiative provides high-quality, in-depth, and independent research across a range of economic and political issues, and offers policy recommendations aimed at U.S. and Latin American policymakers. Read More

ExpertBenjamin Wittes

Benjamin Wittes, a New Republic online columnist, focuses on the Supreme Court; judicial nominations and confirmations; and legal issues surrounding the war on terrorism.

ExpertBruce Katz

Bruce Katz, vice president and founding director of the Metropolitan Policy Program, regularly advises national, state, regional and municipal leaders on policy reforms that advance the competitiveness of metropolitan areas.

Policy CenterEngelberg Center for Health Care Reform

The Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform provides practical solutions to achieve high-quality, innovative, affordable health care with particular emphasis on identifying opportunities on the national, state and local levels.

ExpertSuzanne Maloney

Suzanne Maloney studies Iran, the political economy of the Persian Gulf and Middle East energy policy. A former U.S. State Department policy advisor, she has also counseled private companies on Middle East issues.

ExpertHugh B. Price

Former president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League, Hugh Price is an expert on education, civil rights, equal opportunity and criminal justice. His 40-year career spans journalism, philanthropy, the law, and social advocacy.

ExpertMartin Neil Baily

Martin Baily, a former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, focuses on issues of globalization, productivity and competitiveness, Social Security reform and U.S. economic policy.

ExpertRebecca Blank

Rebecca Blank is an expert on the interaction between the macroeconomy, government anti-poverty programs, and the behavior and well being of low-income families. She has just been named the Robert V. Kerr senior fellow at Brookings.

ExpertAlice M. Rivlin

Alice Rivlin, the first director of the Congressional Budget Office, is an expert on urban issues as well as fiscal, monetary and social policy. She directs the Greater Washington Research project. 

Policy CenterWolfensohn Center for Development

The Wolfensohn Center seeks effective solutions to key development challenges in order to create a more prosperous and stable world with a focus on aid effectiveness, early childhood development and Middle East youth.

ExpertSarah A. Binder

Sarah Binder is an expert on Congress and legislative politics.  Her current projects focus on the politics of federal judicial selection and the consequences of partisan polarization.

ExpertDavid B. Sandalow

A former assistant secretary of state and White House staffer, Sandalow is author of "Freedom from Oil" and an expert on energy policy and global warming.

ExpertWilliam Galston

Bill Galston, the Ezra K. Zilkha Chair in Governance Studies, is an expert on domestic policy, political campaigns and elections. His research focuses on designing a new social contract and the implications of political polarization.

ProgramGovernance Studies

Governance Studies explores political institutions of the United States and other democracies to assess how they govern, how their practices compare and how citizens and public servants can advance sound governance.

ExpertWarwick J. McKibbin

An international economics expert based in Australia, Warwick McKibbin focuses his research on global climate change; the emergence of China and India into the world economy; and global economic modeling.

Research ProjectManaging Global Insecurity

MGI provides recommendations to the next U.S. president, the UN and key international partners to launch a strategic effort to build global partnerships and international institutions to meet twenty-first century trans-border challenges.