Suchergebnisse

This simulation sets up a presidential and congressional structure and demonstrates the various institutional and political factors that exist in the law making process on the American national level. We have designed a role-playing framework for presidential initiative, congressional action/reaction, and interest group and media activity. Students will become aware of agenda setting, the budget as a policy instrument, and the forces and strategies of influence that affect lawmaking. It can be inserted into a semester course to diversify routine lectures and discussion. It is flexible, easily adjusted to class size and time available to highlight the executive-legislative process (it may take three to eight class sessions).

Teaching through simulation is one of the most innovative and interesting methods available. Many educators, however, are reluctant to utilize this technique. Some of the reasons for this are understandable. Setting up a simulation is somewhat time consuming and involves more than the usual amount of paperwork. Secondly, the educator may be unfamiliar with organizing a flexible, people- integrating simulation. Third, grading criteria may be a bit more difficult to develop. In spite of these facts, the strengths of using simulation far outweigh the difficulties, and it is the intention of this article to help overcome such problems.Although setting up a simulation is time consuming, once accomplished, the teacher's job becomes easier because the students will begin to "learn by doing".