The Rules of the Game: Experiencing Global Capitalism on a Monopoly Board

Sociologists have long recognized the utility of modified forms of Monopoly as tools for teaching about social stratification within the United States. We present an adaptation of Monopoly to help instructors teach students how capitalism plays out in a liberalizing world economy. By taking on roles as CEOs of global companies based in different countries, students come to understand firsthand how and why the winners and losers of market globalization are determined by the rules of the game that are set by international institutions. Students themselves vote on whether and how these rules will change, experiencing crucial intersections of politics and economics. By the end of the game, students are ready to critically examine the governing structures of a globalizing economy, and the political outcomes these structures produce. Quantitative and experimental results suggest that playing the game increases student interest in and understanding of several key concepts of neoliberal globalization.