This is the first on I know of that I'd rightly say is a computer model
that is "agent-based" is this fine study by McPhee and Smith, which I
believe was actually conducted in the late 1950s

McPhee, William and Robert Smith. 1962. A model for analyzing
voting systems. In William McPhee and William Glaser, eds., Public
Opinion and Congressional Elections. New York: Free Press.

This one is more like a cellular automata, but it is pretty widely known
in my neck of the woods.

Bremer, S.A. and M. Mihalka. 1977. Machiavelli in machina: Or politics
amon hexagons. In K.W. Deutsch, B. Fritsch, H. Jaquaribe, and A.S.
Markovits, eds. Problems in World Modeling: Political and Social
Implications. Cambridge: Ballinger Publishing, pp. 303-337.


According to Raser (1969, p. 56), the "first serious effort to build
a computer simulation of a political system was made at the University
of Oklahoma by Oliver Benson" in the late 1950s. Benson described
the interaction of nations in a high-level model that attempted to
integrate assumptions about national aggressiveness, capability,
geography, and alliances.


Benson, Oliver. 1961. A simple Diplomatic Game. In James N. Rosenau,
ed. International Politics and Foreign Policy: A Reader in Research and
Theory.  Glencoe, IL: Free Press.

Raser, John R. 1969. Simulation and Society: an exploration of
scientific gaming. Boston: Allyn and Bacon


Bruce Edmonds wrote:
> Dear fellow simsoc members,
>
> Schelling first published (a 1-D) 'computational' model of segregation
> in 1969, but he did not use a computer (his 2-D model followed closely).
>
> We have (somewhere) in the labs here an early Doran paper (Essex
> computer science working paper number 2!) in 1986(?) suggesting the DIA
> simulation of social issues, as well as an early Moss paper of a similar
> vintage.
>
> I know that Simula (the OO-predecessor of smalltalk) was designed with a
> social analogy in mind.
>
> Can people please send me early references to computational simulation
> of social phenomena?
>
> Three criteria:
>
> 1.  They must have been implemented and run (i.e. there were some
> results) - no concept papers
>
> 2.  They must be individual- or agent- based simulations - no numerical
> simulation of statistical or differential equations composed of terms
> representing aspects of the whole target population.
>
> 3.  They must be before 1990, ie. 80's 70's 60's etc.
>
> Given that this is exactly the sort of thing that can generate a lot of
> list traffic, please send references to me and I will collate them and
> post them back to the list.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Regards.
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> Bruce Edmonds,
> Centre for Policy Modelling,
> Manchester Metropolitan University, Aytoun Bldg.,
> Aytoun St., Manchester, M1 3GH. UK.
> Tel: +44 161 247 6479  Fax: +44 161 247 6802
> Email: [log in to unmask] Web: bruce.edmonds.name


--
Paul E. Johnson                       email: [log in to unmask]
Dept. of Political Science            http://lark.cc.ku.edu/~pauljohn
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