Acting on Ideas

Simulating Power: Teaching Policy Through Roleplay

Joyojeet Pal, Associate Professor of Information, shares how he uses real-world simulations to connect students with complex challenges, foster interdisciplinary thinking, and create immersive, high-impact learning experiences.

Want to understand how tech policy really works? Try arguing it in front of Congress.

That’s exactly what students do in my course on social media and politics. Instead of just studying the system, they simulate it by taking on the roles of lawmakers, lobbyists, and expert witnesses in a mock Congressional hearing focusing on a current tech issue, like the proposed ban on TikTok. It’s hands-on, high-stakes, and designed to mirror the complexity of real-world decision-making.

The heart of the exercise is research. Students must dive into the beliefs, backgrounds, and motivations of the people they are portraying. If you are playing a senator focused on foreign affairs, your questions need to reflect that focus. If you represent a district where tech jobs drive the economy, your priorities should match those realities. Every question, every response, and every argument must align with the interests of your assigned stakeholder.

Before the hearing, students submit position papers that outline their stance and strategy. These are shared with evaluators to help them assess how well participants stay in character and engage with the issue. The result is a sharp, fast-moving debate that brings the nuances of policymaking to life and challenges students to think critically, speak persuasively, and navigate real-world complexity from the safety of the classroom.

Hands-on learning like this is at the core of what we do at UMSI. By giving students a chance to wrestle with ambiguity, practice advocacy, and engage with opposing views, we prepare them for the messy, nuanced decisions they’ll face in the real world. These aren’t just class exercises; they’re opportunities to practice leadership, empathy, and informed action. In a field where information and influence are constantly evolving, that kind of preparation matters.