Simulating US foreign policy crises: Uses and limits in education and training

Abstract

Crisis policy simulations can provide instructors with valuable tools for (1) increasing student awareness of the complexities of the real-life policy environment; (2) enhancing their empathy for the challenges faced by actual policymakers; and (3) providing vivid illustrations of difficult theoretical concepts associated with individual or group decision making and crisis management. This article explores the value of classroom simulations and the requirements for their successful construction and use. © Blackwell Publishers Ltd 1997.