Teaching Activity: The Government Game (Economic Policy Simulation)

Ideal for remote learning, here's an updated version of our ever-popular 'Government Game' Economic policy simulator.

In this new edition we've created a spreadsheet version so that teachers can run their game with large numbers of students or even run the activity remotely with students sending answers via email or their online learning platform.

HOW THE GOVERNMENT GAME WORKS

In the Government Game, students are given a list of 28 economic policies. They must chose 12 of these over the course of the game and attempt to keep inflation below 2%, unemployment low, their budget deficit low and encourage economic growth. All this, whilst trying to win a General Election!

Students can work independently or, if they are able, in small groups. They send their answers through to their teacher (by simply indicating the number code of their chosen policy) and the teacher can then feedback the outcome of their decision. The activity can be a genuine competition (who can be the winning student/team) or the starting point of an extended piece of work asking students to consider fiscal, monetary and supply-side policies or economic trade-offs.

The download includes a spreadsheet for teachers to manage the game and make calculations, a teacher instruction sheet and a worksheet to send to students.