Designed by Jeffrey L. Bernstein, Department of Political Science, Eastern Michigan University

Abstract
Introductory Note from the Author
Contents

Abstract: Welcome to "Winning the Seat," a simulation of the congressional election process. By using this simulation, your students will gain a solid understanding of how congressional elections are conducted and of what determines who wins and loses these contests. By "playing along" with the election, they will learn to choose among different strategic options for the campaigns. And, because this is an active learning technique, students will learn the material better than if they were passively receiving this information in a lecture. They will become engaged in the game, fostering learning and retention.

The simulation is designed for high school and college and university students.

The development of this simulation has been funded by a Robert H. Michel Civic Education Grant from the Dirksen Congressional Research Center, Pekin, Illinois. I am grateful to Frank Mackaman and to participants in the 2000 Congress in the Classroom® workshop for their constructive comments that have made this a better simulation.

An Introductory Note from the Author

I have been teaching political science at the university level for almost ten years. Early in my career, I realized something that most experienced teachers have long known - students learn best by doing. The best lecturer can only be so effective in conveying material to students in the traditional manner. Students need to have some experience learning the material by actively doing rather than passively listening. For me, the best way I have found to let students learn the material actively comes from simulations.

Don't get me wrong, lecture and more traditional roles of learning still have a very central place in the educational realm. Nobody would dispute that lecturing lets a teacher cover the greatest amount of material in the smallest amount of time. Teachers also have more control over how the material gets presented in more frontal learning styles. And, in the real world, students will one day need to learn material in lecture form - their future employers and teachers will not suddenly start using simulations and role plays. We don't do a service to students if we abandon all the traditional forms of presentation of course material. We do, however, help them when we teach some material in this way.

For me, one of the solutions to the active learning dilemma is running simulations in my classes. By putting students in the role of participants rather than observers of some phenomena, I believe they will learn the material better and retain what they learn for much longer. They will have more fun with what they are doing and therefore be more engaged with the material.

Before we go any further, let me acknowledge two concerns you may have with simulations. First, they take more time and preparation on the part of the teacher. I have tried to minimize that concern by providing you with an online simulation guide that will make running a simulation much easier than if you had to design and prepare it yourself. It's not "add water and stir" but this simulation is not much more involved than that.

Second, teachers may complain that simulations take too much class time to run. Well, OK, maybe you've got a point there. I believe, however, that this subject is quite important and therefore worth spending more time on it than you currently are [See Congressional Elections are Worth the Time and Attention]. If I can't convince you of that (and I'm going to try) then I can assure you that this simulation includes a number of different options for how to run it. Some can be done quite quickly (in a class period or two); others can be extended much longer than that for those who want to do so.

I hope you'll enjoy this simulation.

Jeffrey L. Bernstein
Eastern Michigan University
jeffrey.bernstein@emich.edu

See: Congressional Elections Are Worth the Time and Attention

Contents

Congressional Elections Are Worth the Time and Attention
OK, So Congressional Elections Matter
Why a Simulation?
But Simulations Can Be Time Consuming and Complex

How to Play the Game
Organizing Your Classroom
The Campaign
Other Game Options
Wrap-Up Questions
A Sample Schedule

Case Studies
How to Teach with the Case Studies
Case Study #1 - Congressman Pothole Loses Touch
Case Study #2 - The All-Out Ideological War
Case Study #3 - The Scandal
Case Study #4 - The Extremist
Case Study #5 - The Redistricting
Resources for Case Studies

Determining the Election Results
The Baseline Vote
The Quality of the Campaign - Generic
The Quality of the Campaign - Case-Specific
The Random Effects
Scorecard for Determining Election Results

Help Students Excel During the Simulation
Stump Speeches
Commercials
Debates

Resources for Teachers
What High School Government Teachers Should Know about Congressional Elections
Four Central Facts About Incumbency and How to Teach Them
Further Resources for Teachers and Students