About Us
Congress: The Context
SUBJECTS
U.S. Government, Civics, U.S. History
GRADE LEVEL
9-12
OBJECTIVES
This is a simulation about the legislative process of logrolling. This simulation could be used as a sidelight to the lawmaking process, the committee system, or as an exercise to demonstrate a reason for client politics with concentrated benefits and distributed costs. “Client politics” is the type of politics when an organized minority or interest group benefits at the expense of the public. This is particularly common in a pluralist system, such as in the United States, where minorities can have considerable power shaping public policy. After completing this simulation, students will have a more complete understanding of the process of logrolling, how it occurs, and what are the consequences.
LESSON PLAN
Class 1: Distribute Handout #1 (attached). Students will bassume they are a member of the Senate of the United States. As a member of the Senate, they are asked if they would support or not support the legislative options presented on the handout.
Class 2: Print out and cut up the attached senatorial assignments into singles. Let students draw them out of a hat, basket, or something similar.
Have students draft a proposal to accomplish the goal of their assigned senator. Note: Whether or not they accomplish their goal is the sole determiner of the grade they will receive on the assignment.
Ask students to use sticky notes after class and over the weekend to negotiate enough support to secure the passage of their proposal.
Class 3: During class hold a public vote item by item. After the vote, debrief and discuss with students what causes logrolling and what its consequences are.
RESOURCES
American Government by Wilson and Dilulio
CREDIT
Buddy Hardwicke
Coronado High School
Coronado, CA
