The Executive Branch - Cabinet Simulation
THE CONTEXT
Washington, D.C. is an extremely competitive, political town and you must work hard to keep your agency an important part of government. It's the beginning of the legislative calendar and you must compete with other agencies and departments for a part of the budget and a high profile emphasis from the president. It is through his "bully pulpit" that you will garner support for the needs and programs of your department or agency with Congress during the next year. Your advice to the President will take the form of an Action Plan with possible alternative courses of action to meet the budget constraints. The political situation in this simulation has the President of one party, a Congress of another party and the public opinion polls showing an overwhelming majority of the people favoring a government that maintains a balanced budget with no new taxes.
Washington, D.C. is an extremely competitive, political town and you must work hard to keep your agency an important part of government. It's the beginning of the legislative calendar and you must compete with other agencies and departments for a part of the budget and a high profile emphasis from the president. It is through his "bully pulpit" that you will garner support for the needs and programs of your department or agency with Congress during the next year. Your advice to the President will take the form of an Action Plan with possible alternative courses of action to meet the budget constraints. The political situation in this simulation has the President of one party, a Congress of another party and the public opinion polls showing an overwhelming majority of the people favoring a government that maintains a balanced budget with no new taxes.
YOUR TASK
It's up to you, as agency chief or department head, to identify a pressing current issue before your agency/department, and then post and prepare an executive summary for the president. Explore possible courses of action to remedy this problem and the potential cost to accomplish the goals set forth in each course of action you are proposing to solve this pressing social problem. You may prepare charts, tables and graphs to explain your plans to the President.
It's up to you, as agency chief or department head, to identify a pressing current issue before your agency/department, and then post and prepare an executive summary for the president. Explore possible courses of action to remedy this problem and the potential cost to accomplish the goals set forth in each course of action you are proposing to solve this pressing social problem. You may prepare charts, tables and graphs to explain your plans to the President.
PROCESS
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EVALUATION
Your grade will be dependent on your careful preparation of your proposal and action plans in the cabinet meeting, as well as on the Executive Summary that you prepare. Be prepared to demonstrate that you have the answers to the President’s questions on your department/agency problem or concern. Your data should validate your presentation’s suggestions.
CONCLUSION
After all the cabinet members have made their reports and the president, with the advice of his/her executive team has made the final decision, time permitting the class will critique the presentations as to which ones were most persuasive. The class will also judge the realistic aspects of the meeting and the proposals, which were made in this mock cabinet meeting.
Your grade will be dependent on your careful preparation of your proposal and action plans in the cabinet meeting, as well as on the Executive Summary that you prepare. Be prepared to demonstrate that you have the answers to the President’s questions on your department/agency problem or concern. Your data should validate your presentation’s suggestions.
CONCLUSION
After all the cabinet members have made their reports and the president, with the advice of his/her executive team has made the final decision, time permitting the class will critique the presentations as to which ones were most persuasive. The class will also judge the realistic aspects of the meeting and the proposals, which were made in this mock cabinet meeting.