Political, Social, and Biological Systems

Abstract

The study on the behavior of the political, social, and biological systems started in earnest in the middle of the twentieth century. The underlying principles of closed-loop control in mechanical and electrical systems were studied in depth by many professionals in other disciplines. Notable among them was Professor Jay Forrester at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). What they found was a large measure of commonality in the behavior patterns of the systems in these various disciplines.

This chapter is an introduction to the behaviors of political, economic, social, and natural systems. It starts with the history of the study of such systems and shows how they are depicted by causal loop diagrams. There are discussions on feedback and biofeedback, dead time and lag, and system hierarchies. That is followed by a case study on urban youth violence and an example of system dynamic approach in our daily lives.