The Open Method of Coordination (OMC) as an Evolutionary Learning Process

Arbeitspapier

We interpret the Open Method of Coordination (OMC), recently adopted by the EU as a mode of governance in the area of social policy and other fields, as an imitative learning dynamics of the type considered in evolutionary game theory. The best-practise feature and the iterative design of the OMC correspond to the behavioral rule "imitate the best." In a redistribution game with utilitarian governments and mobile welfare beneficiaries, we compare the outcomes of imitative behavior (long-run evolutionary equilibrium), decentralized best-response behavior (Nash equilibrium), and coordinated policies. The main result is that the OMC allows policy coordination on a strict subset of the set of Nash equilibria, favoring in particular coordination on intermediate values of the policy instrument.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Munich Discussion Paper ; No. 2009-18

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism; Secession ; State and Local Government: Health; Education; Welfare; Public Pensions ; Stochastic and Dynamic Games; Evolutionary Games; Repeated Games ; Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
• Subject: Open Method of Coordination ; Finite-population Evolutionarily Stable Strategy ; Imitation ; Mobility ; Redistribution. ; EU-Politik ; Internationale Wirtschaftspolitik ; Evolutionäre Spieltheorie ; Theorie ; EU-Staaten

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Ania, Ana B. ; Wagener, Andreas
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Volkswirtschaftliche Fakultät
• (where): München
• (when): 2009

Further information

• DOI: doi:10.5282/ubm/epub.11109
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/104282
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:19-epub-11109-8
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET