Modeling public opinion and voting as a complex system with agent-based simulations

In this paper we study the effects of external stimuli on public opinion and voting in the context of collective opinion formation. We model two situations of collection opinion formation: the effects of public opinion on nanotechnology and voting. In the first case, we study the behavior of systems under shock, while in a second case we study the effect of constant perturbation. We take an agent-based simulation approach to understand the complexities of the formation and disruption of collective opinion.