Journal on Policy and Complex Systems • Volume 4 , Number 2 • Fall 2018
Editor ’ s Letter
This issue of the Journal on Policy and Complex Systems ( JPCS ) is a collection of papers presented at the Complexity and Policy Studies ( CAPS ) conference held on April 18 – 20 , 2018 at the George Mason University facilities in Arlington , VA . The CAPS conference is organized annually by the JPCS in the Washington DC area , and is often co-sponsored by universities in the area . We are grateful that this time George Mason University was the co-sponsor of the conference .
Just like the journal , the conference is devoted to the creation of a field that is at the intersection of complexity theory and policy studies . Each paper has to include a treatment of a complex aspect of a social issue , including , but not limited to , politics , economy , healthcare , education , defense , sport , art , or culture . In addition , papers must address some elements of a computational model that is devised to quantify the analysis of the issue at hand .
Papers presented at the Complexity and Policy Studies Conference ( CAPS ) cover a range of interesting topics and ideas , including tools for foreign policy , a modeling framework for urban policy contexts , methods to increase content dissemination among the highly ranked influencers in social media , a modeling platform , a treatise on the nature of complexity , methods for matching students to schools , a network model for firm location , modeling an economic interdependence in deterrence using serious games , a complexity theory of power , a position paper on the future of complexity and policy , and expending science and advancing reflexive government .
These papers offer an interesting mix of ideas and approaches that are necessary for the field of complexity and policy ( i . e . complexity-driven policy ) to start defining its scope , scientific methods , and research methodologies . We hope that the group of researchers who will provide the critical mass for this effort will also devote some time to creating a repository of data sets , models , and best practices that will eventually lead to field-defining standards .
Mirsad Hadžikadić Editor , JPCS
Este número de Journal on Policy and Complex Systems ( JPCS ) es una colección de documentos presentados en la conferencia de Complejidad y Estudios de Políticas ( CAPS ) celebrada del 18 al 20 de abril de 2018 en las instalaciones de la Universidad George Mason en Arlington , Virginia . CAPS es
v doi : 10.18278 / jpcs . 4.2.1