ERIC Number: EJ1459108
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1551-2169
EISSN: EISSN-1551-2177
Teaching U.S. Constitutional Design: The Case of the "Genovian Revolution"
Journal of Political Science Education, v21 n1 p143-162 2025
In the modern American politics classroom, ideological and partisan conflict have the capacity to interfere with a healthy classroom environment. This problem is increasingly apparent when students engage questions at the heart of U.S. Constitutional design. By asking students to inhabit fictional roles with preferences and attitudes that may differ from their own, classroom simulation activities present a potential solution to this issue. In the present study I introduce a two-week constitutional convention simulation that centers on the fictional Principality of Genovia. Working in groups, students assume roles within various segments of Genovian society who seek democratic representation following the sudden abdication of their autocratic prince. The simulation is designed to foreshadow key concepts in American government and politics. It does so in a way that allows for vociferous debate and conflict while sidestepping students' preexisting ideologies and party attachments. It also provides a collaborative, active learning environment that fosters healthy classroom dynamics and encourages later collaboration. In a pre-post survey instrument, I test the effectiveness of the Genovian simulation in fostering key learning outcomes and enhancing the student experience vis-a-vis several other classroom modules, finding that the Genovian exercise is beneficial to students on several dimensions.
Descriptors: Constitutional Law, Design, Classroom Environment, Politics, Ideology, Political Affiliation, Conflict, Learner Engagement, Role Playing, Student Participation, Fiction, Active Learning, United States Government (Course), Debate, Introductory Courses, Simulation, Teaching Methods, Discussion (Teaching Technique), Classroom Techniques, Reflection, Learning Strategies
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: United States Constitution
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A