SIMULATION OF GLOBAL AND LOCAL INTRANSITIVITIES IN A SIMPLE VOTING GAME UNDER MAJORITY-RULE

In this paper we develop a mathematical model of social choice that provides the basis for a computer simulation of a political decisionmaking process. Prior research has demonstrated the nonexistence of an equilibrium for multidimensional voting games, a result that is obtained both globally and locally. Our simulation, while successfully modeling these results, provides a capability for analyzing the systemic effects (voting cycle characteristics) of iterated voting games that has not before been available to researchers. The structure of our computer model also anticipates development of dynamic models of social choice and provides a basic framework for eventual stability analyses of decisionmaking behavior in simulated and actual political environments. Copyright © 1991 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.