arXiv subjects

Michael Poulshock

Publications and source records attributed to Michael Poulshock.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2022

National Power as Network Flow

Political power in the international context can be characterized as a fluid-like substance that circulates through a network of nation states. States can possess it as a stock quantity, reflected by their material capacity or national wealth; and they can transfer it as a flow quantity, through constructive or destructive action. Constructive activities like trade increase a state's power, while destructive ones like violent conflict reduce it. In this paper, we quantify these assertions to a first approximation using economic and military data, parameterizing a mathematical model that can forecast the evolution of power in the international system.

cs.SI↗

arXiv2019

The Foundations of Political Realism

Political realism aims to describe the interaction of agents involved in struggles for political power. This article formulates realism in terms of quantitative postulates that depict political power as a fluid-like substance flowing through a network of agents. It is shown that agent preferences within this framework resemble those of nation states competing for power. It is suggested that this approach provides a methodology for resolving longstanding debates about realism and a template for interpreting aspects of political behavior more generally.

cs.SI↗

arXiv2016

An Abstract Model of Historical Processes

A theoretical model is presented which provides a way to simulate, at a very abstract level, power struggles in the social world. In the model, agents can benefit or harm each other, to varying degrees and with differing levels of influence. The agents interact over time, using the power they have to try to get more of it, while being constrained in their strategic choices by social inertia. The outcomes of the model are probabilistic. More research is needed to determine whether the model has any empirical validity.

cs.SI↗