Work

Political Polarization as a Convergence Condition of Democratic Systems Controlled by Dynamic Social Networks

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This paper presents a control systems framework for analyzing political polarization, a phenomenon that has become increasingly prevalent worldwide. Specifically, it examines the conditions under which a democratic system controlled by a social network converges to a progressive or a regressive state. The social network is modeled as a directed graph, and the democratic system is represented by a finite-state machine. Transitions toward more equal or more unequal states occur by majority rule, based on the choices of individual agents. To describe decision convergence, the study introduces the notion of a strongly divided network , which captures political polarization. Under the assumption that the network is strongly divided, the paper derives the conditions under which the democratic system controlled by that network eventually converges to either a progressive or a regressive state.

Source: International Journal of Control Automation and Systems

DOI: 10.1007/s12555-026-00022-9

Authors: Seong-Jin Park, Jung-Min Yang

Institutions: Ajou University, Kyungpook National University

Language: English

Topic: Opinion Dynamics and Social Influence

Subfield: Statistical and Nonlinear Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: National Research Foundation, Kyungpook National University, National Research Foundation of Korea, Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea