A computational agent-based simulation of an artificial monetary union for dynamic comparative institutional analysis

Abstract

We present a highly stylized agent-based computational model (ABM) of an artificial economic and monetary union. Contrary to other current macroeconomic ABMs, it focuses on the relations/consequences of credit-financed, high-leveraged economies, conspicuous consumption within and across borders and a monetary and economic union of individual countries. The model includes a number of boundedly rational agents of the following types: a central bank, states & governments, banks, firms and households. In summary, it enables simulations of interacting political economies within a monetary union, entailing complex interactions and interdependencies between centralized governments/central banks and decentralized markets for goods (regular and status), labor, loans as well as bonds from the bottom up. Through its modular structure, we are able to apply dynamic comparative institutional analysis by investigating medium and long-run economic effects.