American Government Simulation

Become corrupt, impeach the President, start a war—the sky’s the limit! Or rather, the Constitution is, but even that can be amended…

Teacher: Ryan Normandin

Description

You are a United States congressman, cabinet member, or president, and for six weeks, the government is in your hands. Through readings, discussion, and, most importantly, debate, learn about major policy areas such as education, financial regulation, and climate change. Then, apply what you've learned: craft legislation and lock horns with the opposing party as you attempt to pass a bill. Of course, you'll also have to run for office and stay accountable to your constituents.

If you are interested not just in policy, but also in "playing the game" and seeing just what it takes to cut it in Washington, this is the class for you. Welcome to the real "House of Cards."

For the application...

Prerequisites

None.

Relevant experience

Please list any political science- or government-related courses and activities you have participated in, such as debate, mock trial, or Model United Nations.

Core-specific application question

The application question for this class consists of multiple parts. You should provide responses to all parts. These are designed to require some thought, so don’t be discouraged if it takes you a while to come up with good answers. You can do it!

Part 1

Ruraltown, a small rural town of 13,000, has a single high school of 450 students that was built during the Great Depression. The regional accreditation agency has put the school on probation for several years in a row, citing the school's overcrowding and outdated facilities. The agency has made it clear that if a new facility is not built or the current facility updated, the school will lose accreditation.

A proposal has come forward from the Massachusetts School Building Association to fund 56 percent of the cost of constructing a new high school. At the same time, Ruraltown has been made to pay for families utilizing the school choice option to send their children out of district.

Pretend you are citizen of Ruraltown. Write a few paragraphs arguing in favor of the proposal. Then, separately, write a few paragraphs arguing against the proposal.

Part 2

In no more than 300 words, describe a time when you had to understand why another individual disagreed with your viewpoint on a moral or political issue. How did you handle the situation and what, if anything did you learn from it?