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POLI 109: Legislative Simulation Course

POLI 109 is a course on the California State legislative process.

It is designed to be a total “immersion” into the legislative process—particularly the California State Senate—in which students roleplay to understand its formal and informal hierarchies of influence, norms, expectations for behavior, complicated rules, and traditions. Roleplay includes simulating committee meetings, floor sessions, and the bill creation and passage process.

The goal of this class is for students to learn how this system works by looking at it from the inside.

Additionally, this course features a lineup of high-profile guest speakers with a a hands-on approach to learning and finishes the semester with a trip to the State Capitol in Sacramento!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Past Guest Speakers:

  • Mayor Willie Brown

  • Senator Alex Padilla

  • Congressman Jim Costa

  • Governor Gavin Newsom

  • Assembly Speaker Emeritus and UC Regent John Pérez

  • Assembly Minority Leader Kristin Olsen-Cate 

Student Role Assignments Include:

 California State Senators

  • play as a real member of the State Senate and represent their district's interests

 Lobbyists

  • represent an interest group, develop their legislative program, and attempt to pass it in the legislature 

 Journalists

  • play a member of the press, publish a consistent newspaper and transmit information among all players

 

Regent John PérezAssembly Speaker Emeritus Regent John Pérez

Former Assembly Minority Leader Kristin Olsen-Cate

2023 Sacramento, CA Field Trip

A full day in Sacramento: touring the Capitol grounds, simulating committee meetings and a floor session in the actual seats of legislators, and visiting UC Center Sacramento to learn about their internship program

Instructors:

Professor Nathan Monroe & Former Assemblymember Adam Gray

Questions about the course? Contact Nate Monroe at nmonroe2@ucmerced.edu