Modelling Complex Systems

In classic micro-targeted campaigns, data is used to segment people along lines such as beliefs, psychometrics, and relevance, which can be used to design persuasive efforts that optimally persuade each segment of voters. However, citizens are not passive consumers of information; they share their opinions with each other at work, in pubs, and via social media. When components of a heterogeneous system can interact over time, patterns can emerge that cannot be predicted by looking at each individual in isolation. This chapter presents the principles of elections as complex systems.

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