Social impact of reliance on simulations to examine issues of public policy

Social impact of reliance on simulations to examine issues of public policy

It is relatively difficult to study the effects from public policy on people are using technology. Most, if not all computer simulations are not able to capture the affect of public policy on society, through human nature, or their likes or dislikes. A computer simulation designer must be sure their computer simulation accurately captures human behavior. Human behavior is subjective and there is no universal standard for how human behavior should be simulated in technology.
For example, Today, with interest rates decreasing, banks are able to invest more, which leads to more investments, which results in a flourishing economy. This is not 100% accurate at simulating economical undulations based on human behavior and their buying and selling, but through statistics and the mathematical aspect, computer simulations, simulating the economy are relatively accurate.
Also one can argue, there is a difference of opinion on using government money to send oversees to poverty-stricken countries. Although it may be helping one country it may be “negatively” impacting another. This issue is subjective and no accurate computer simulation can be accurately created from this fact.
Although simulations can help study the effects of public policy to make it easier for policymakers to understand the positive or negative effects of their policies, due to subjectivity, it is difficult to full paint and accurate picture through a simulation. Some computer simulations also may be based off of incorrect information, resulting in harmful laws created by policy makers.
The following is from the Public News Health Center.
“Many scientists and public health experts believe that a global pandemic caused by a deadly and highly contagious flu virus is likely one day, if not inevitable. However, computer simulations of an influenza outbreak in Southeast Asia show that a global pandemic might be averted with a prompt public health response, such as targeted geographic use of prophylactic anti-viral drugs and policies to reduce social contact, such as quarantines or temporarily closing schools and businesses. The analysis is published in the August 3, 2005, edition of Nature.”