Comparative Analysis of Simulation Models

by Dragana Majstorovic, Maria A. Wimmer, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany; Roy Lay-Yee, Peter Davis, Centre of Methods and Policy Application in the Social Sciences, New Zealand; Petra Ahrweiler, Europäische Akademie zur Erforschung von Folgen wissenschaftlich-technischer Entwicklungen GmbH, Germany. Abstract: Using computer simulations in examining, explaining and predicting social processes and relationships as well as measuring possible impact of policies has become an important part of policy making process. This chapter presents a comparative analysis of simulation models utilised in the field of policy decision making. Different models and modelling theories and approaches are examined and compared to each other with respect to their role in public decision-making processes. The analysis has shown that none of the theories alone is able to address all aspects of complex policy interactions, which introduced a need for the development of simulation models consisting of a few sub-models built on different modelling theories. These hybrid models can be considered as modelling platforms or complex systems consisting of sub-models, which communicate with each other, by setting up and propagating particular parameters after each reasoning iteration.