Today's political environment continues to become more polarized as Americans find themselves taking sides on controversial issues. While this is certainly not new to the American democratic experience, the way we as a country are combating it is. With the nation engulfed in a political maelstrom, people are forgetting how to have a civilized…

As experiential learning becomes more central to undergraduate education, we must find ways to use it in large classes and to teach students how to learn from experiences. This article uses a 2-year study of student perceptions of learning from short, in-class games and simulations to show that these active learning activities can be used to…

With so many role-playing simulations already in the political science education literature, the recent repeated calls for new games is both timely and appropriate. This article answers and extends those calls by advocating the creation of probabilistic games using Microsoft Excel. I introduce the example of the Stag Hunt Game--a short, effective,…

Assessment through simulation is something that political science pedagogy has yet to explore in a robust manner. This article advances analysis of social science simulation and assessment by laying out a typology of active-learning activities that isolates and examines their potential for assessment. In short, we argue that there are essentially…

Engaging students with material associated with public budgeting processes can be a challenge. Our experience in an interdisciplinary seminar on education politics and policy suggests that a budget simulation exercise is an effective tool to achieve multiple objectives, including increased student engagement and strengthening student-learning…

This article describes some of the highlights of the author's work with Harold Guetzkow while he was a doctoral student in political science at Northwestern University in the mid-1960s. Harold was a model of professionalism and the author had the great opportunity to learn about the profession during their publication of the "Inter-Nation…

Despite the growing availability and popularity of simulations and other active teaching techniques, many instructors may be deterred from using simulations because of the potentially high costs involved. Instructors could spend a preponderance of their time and resources developing and executing simulations, but such an approach is not necessary.…

Examples and reasons for using case studies in the classroom illustrate the effectiveness of this technique. (JB)

Describes a simulation based on strategic arms limitation talks. The simulation was successfully used in a freshman-level introductory political science course to help students understand the importance of negotiating and understanding other points of view in international relations. (DB)

A simulation for the classroom consisting of three elections. This article presents its objectives, participants, duties of participants, how to prepare voter profile cards, sample subjects for voter profiles, how to play the game, and follow-up activities. See SO 504 023 for address of journal. (ND)

Describes objectives and student activities of a simulated peace conference which the author has used successfully in a course on Middle East politics at the University of Maine in Orono. (AV)

Describes a legislative simulation intended for use in a college-level political science course. A major objective of the simulation is to help students understand decision-making processes involved in politics. Source materials and role characteristics are discussed. (DB)

Tests the hypothesis that political science students using computer-based games in an American government course would achieve at a higher level and evaluate the games at least as favorably as traditional modes of instruction. Findings were positive. (DB)

Models of the United Nations (MUNs) as political simulation games are described by reviewing their scope, structure, and operating procedures. Benefits to student participants include a view of the current world state and empathy with leaders of other governments. Problems of MUN coordination and lack of literature are cited. (AV)

A program, called "Decision Making in the Public Sector" that uses simulated internships, was designed to provide IBM participants with firsthand exposure to the government actors, institutions, and processes involved in the formation and implementation of public policy. (Author/ND)