Working Together: An Empirical Analysis of a Multiclass Legislative-Executive Branch Simulation

Abstract

ABSTRACTMuch of the research on the use of simulations in the political science classroom focuses on how simulations model different events in the real world, including political campaigns, international diplomacy, and legislative bargaining. In the case of American Politics, many simulations focus on the behavior of Congress and the legislative process, yet do so only in isolation, leaving unexamined the complete role of the branch in the policy-making process. We address this gap in the literature through the use of a novel, multiclass simulation that explores the role of the legislative and executive branches in the U.S. policy-making process. Using a quantitative approach, we examine student perceptions of a joint seminar in legislative-executive relations taught at Bowling Green State University in the spring of 2015. The results suggest the multiclass simulation enhanced perceived student learning when compared to traditional lecture or single-course simulations. These effects were conditional upon the student’s assigned role, GPA, and political interest. Our findings add to the growing pedagogical literature on the use of simulations in the university classroom and offer suggestions for practical implementation as well as future research.