Niclas Hüttemann (TU Chemnitz)
Abstract:
How are states in the US politically distinct, and what makes them unique? Through the method of simulating and gaming a fictional bill in the US senate, this workshop presents a way to gamify discussions about different states as well as US politics, making them more approachable in the EFL classroom. By taking on the roles of elected US senators, workshop participants will learn how politicians must balance diverging interests—those of regional actors, their colleagues, or their own—in order to get their political positions into the legislative draft and ultimately passed as a bill.
Bio:
As of 2020, Niclas Hüttemann is a researcher at the Institute for Political Science at the Technical University of Chemnitz. His PhD research focuses on organized interest groups active in Germany’s foreign policy, with a particular emphasis on parliamentary access and foreign economic policy issues, such as globalized supply chains. In addition to his research, he is active in a youth NGO that focuses on teaching about parliamentary systems and how politics works in national and European Parliaments, particularly through simulation games.