Teaching a New Generation of Citizen-Soldiers: How a congressional simulation exercise helps to develop future leaders of character at the United States Military Academy
Abstract
The U.S. Military Academy's American Politics Congressional Simulation Exercise (SIMEX) exposes future military leaders to the formal and informal processes, procedures, and actors that civil authorities must navigate in order to formulate U.S. law, policy, and strategy. The interactive, multi-disciplinary simulation exercise (SIMEX) requires students to assume the roles of members of Congress, media, interest groups, and presidential advisors who work to pass a bill presents cadets with distinct leadership challenges and educational opportunities. The SIMEX helps future military leaders to become cognizant of the political pressures that impact civilian leaders who control the national security apparatus. Cadets get to experience decision making methods in ways a classroom study of law, regulation and politics is unable to provide. Most importantly, cadets gain an understanding of where military officers fit into public policy while reflecting on the military's subordination to civilian leadership. Simulation Leadership Congress Political Science American Government The U.S. Military Academy's American Politics Congressional Simulation Exercise (SIMEX) exposes future military leaders to the formal and informal processes, procedures, and actors that civil authorities must navigate in order to formulate U.S. law, policy, and strategy. Unlike a SIMEX in any other institution of higher learning, West Point's Department of Social Sciences offers cadets the opportunity to experience the political process through the mindset of those civilian lawmakers, elected politicians, and industry lobbyists who will ultimately influence the course of each cadet’s future uniformed service to the nation. The SIMEX at the United States Military Academy is an innovation to political science’s signature pedagogy. Murphy and Reidy, in their work documenting the international political science community, leverage Schulman’s notion of a signature pedagogy in political science focused on teacher-centric large lectures, or small group seminars.