Political Science: Coalitions, Motives, and Payoffs

Abstract

The classroom simulation laid out in this article is designed to provide the social science instructor with an active learning method for teaching a variety of abstract concepts found in various social science fields. It also is a way for students to understand the concepts of mixed-motive negotiations without necessarily having to decipher the often heavily formal theoretical constructs found in much of the literature on negotiation and bargaining. The simulation is assisted by a spreadsheet model used to generate payoffs for the student negotiators. Many of the substantive applications discussed are taken from international relations because of the author’s disciplinary background, but others include issues regarding the stability of coalitions in legislative bargaining environments, the mix of conflictual and cooperative motives existing across parties in labor negotiations, and considerations of fairness and justice in negotiated settlements.