Agent-Based Modeling for Legal Studies

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview and illustration of agent-based modeling, a computational method for building “bottom up” simulations to investigate how the actions and interactions of individual autonomous units (or “agents”) generate systemic effects. The chapter explains the basic nature and purposes of agent-based modeling, distinguishes agent-based modeling from other methods, and canvasses several ways in which agent-based modeling has been applied to legal studies. It goes on to present a basic version of an original agent-based model of judicial review to illustrate how the method might be used to shed fresh light on old questions in comparative constitutional law.