Running for Elected Office: A Ten-Week Political Campaign Simulation for Upper-Division Courses

Abstract

E lections are a central feature of the U.S. system of government. Therefore, it is important that undergraduates, especially political science majors, acquire a substantive understanding of the electoral process. To help students gain this understanding, we have developed a simulation through which undergraduates gain firsthand knowledge of the campaign process. In this simulation, students assume the roles of candidates, staffers, or journalists and undertake a ten-week campaign that ends with a public debate and election. The simulation is designed to be an intensive, multidisciplinary exercise that is flexible in duration and sophistication as well as highly competitive and rigorous for majors and nonmajors alike. Students find the simulation to be both educational and a welcome diversion from the standard lecture format.