Decolonization, the Game

I taught Modern East Asia for the second time this year. Really fun class to teach. The thing that struck me the second time around was how essentially every situation in post-World War II Asia had a wide range of political possibilities, including large groups of moderates and centrists. And in essentially every situation the centrists were purged, murdered, forced abroad, or coopted by the parties on the extremes. We ended up with extreme regimes of both the right and left, but not much in the middle. Also lots of civil wars that got wrapped up in the global Cold War, which, as I told my class repeatedly, was not “cold” in Asia!

Procrastinating from grading, I was struck by a sudden insight that it would be fun to have a class role-play the postwar situation. My aim is to try to help them (and me) understand how post-colonial governments so often devolved into dictatorships, revolutions, and extremism.

The game starts by splitting the class into 5 social groups (numbers are assuming class of 25).

Capitalists — 2 students. Group starts with 1 representative and +2 military bonus. Each capitalist starts with $100 and and receives $20 income each round.

Professionals — 3 students. Group starts with 1 representative and +2 military bonus. Each professional starts with $20 and receives $10 income each round.

Workers — 5 students. Group starts with 1 representative and +0 military bonus. Each worker starts with $10 and receives $2 income each round.

Landlords — 5 students. Group starts with 1 representative and +2 military bonus. Each landlord starts with $20 and receives $5 income each round.

Peasants — 10 students. Group starts with 1 representative and +0 military bonus. Each peasant starts with $5 and receives $1 income each round.

For each group, the instructor tracks the number of representatives, the income rate, and the military bonus. Students track their individual wealth on a pad of paper:

Order of play:

Phase I. The People Choose

Players are given a chance to discuss and debate among themselves, including between groups. Each player individually chooses from one of the following four options (one choice per player per round):

A. Vote. An election for a new representative is held if the majority of a group votes. If this quorum is reached a representative is elected by a simple majority of voters. In all other cases — if voters fail to reach a quorum or a simple majority of voters — the incumbent representative remains in office. If there is no incumbent in a group and the voters cannot reach a quorum or simple majority that group gets no representative this round.

B. Assassinate a rival politician. If any member of any group chooses assassination, the group attempts to kill a representative from another group. The chance of success is n/m+1 , where m is the number of players in the group and n is number choosing to attempt the assassination. If successful the assassinated representative is “killed” — he/she does not participate in the other phases of this round. The assassinated person rejoins their group next turn as an ordinary player, and the group may then elect a new representative.

C. Strike. Strikers reduce the income of all players. See Phase II.

D. Rebel. Rebels may cause changes in government. See Phase III.

Phase II. Income

Each player receives the income listed for their social group on the board, subtracting $1 for each striker. Incomes can be zero but not negative. Each player then adds this income to the wealth listed on their pad.

Phase III. Revolution!

Count the number of rebels, and add the military bonus of any group where the majority of players rebelled this round. This is the “revolution” index. Count the number of non-rebels, and add the military bonus of any group where the majority of players did not rebel this round. This is the “counter-revolution” index. If any group is evenly split, neither the revolution nor the counterrevolution gets their military bonus.

A. If revolution > counterrevolution, revolutionaries are winning the war. Only representatives of majority-rebel groups may vote this turn.

B. If revolution = counterrevolution, the war is in a stalemate. No representatives vote this turn. Last turn’s prime minister remains in power.

C. If revolution < counterrevolution, counter-revolutionaries are winning the war. Only representatives of majority-non-rebel groups may vote this turn.

Phase IV. Representatives Elect a Prime Minister

Eligible candidates declare their intentions to run for PM, and may campaign on what policy they intend to enact (this is non-binding). Each eligible representative gets one vote and may vote for themselves. PMs are elected by a simple majority of voting representatives. If there is no majority the previous PM remains in power. Unlike votes for representatives, PM elections do proceed even if the majority of representatives do not vote (due to abstentions or ineligibility).

Representatives on the losing side of the revolution (Phase III) are not eligible to run or vote for for PM.

Phase V. Prime Minister Enacts Policy

The PM in power can choose between policies from the following four lists. He/she can enact one policy per round, or can choose to enact no new policy.

Political Reforms

These reforms change political representation. All are effective starting Phase I of next round, at which point new representatives may be elected as necessary.

A. Redistrict. Reassign a representative from one group to another. The group gaining a representative may elect a new representative next turn. If the group losing a representative has more than one rep, they may hold a snap vote on which one to remove; if they only have one rep, he/she is automatically removed.

B. Purge. Eliminate one representative. This rep’s group may elect a new representative, but this player is ineligible for one round.

C. Expand the franchise. Add one representative to an under-represented group. (In the beginning of the game there is an average of 1 representative per 5 students, so only groups with less than 1/5 representation may be assigned a new rep). The group gaining a representative may elect a new representative next turn.

D. Suspend/resume elections. Voting is no longer allowed in Phase I until restored again through this policy (or voting is allowed in Phase I until suspended again through this policy).

E. Suspend/resume parliament. Skip/resume Phase IV until this policy is changed again.

Economic Reforms

These reforms change the incomes of social groups. They take effect during Phase II of next round. Note any necessary changes to group income on the board.

A. Land reform. Landlords lose $2 income, peasants gain $1 income.

B. Collectivization. Peasants lose $1 income, representatives (from all groups) gain $5 income.

C. Industrialization. Workers gain $1 income, capitalists gain $5 income.

D. Research and Development. Professionals gain $2 income. Capitalists gain $5 income.

E. Welfare. Capitalists lose $4 income, professionals lose $2 income, landlords lose $2 income. Workers gain $1 income. Peasants gain $2 income.

Social Reforms

These reforms cause players to move between social groups. These players are chosen at random and move into their new group at the end of this round.

A. Urbanization. 2 peasants become workers.

B. Agrarianism. 1 capitalist and 1 professional become peasants.

C. Education. 1 worker and 1 landlord become professionals

D. Investment. 1 professional becomes a capitalist.

Military Interventions

The PM may request an foreign intervention in the revolution/civil war. Note the bonus on the board, and apply it to the appropriate side of the revolution in Phase III of next round.

A. Request US intervention. Add 4 to the capitalists’ military bonus.

B. Request Soviet intervention. Add 3 to the workers’ military bonus.

C. Request Chinese intervention. Add 2 to the peasants’ military bonus.

Military bonuses may not exceed 15 for any given group.

The game should proceed for at least 10–15 turns. I expect that by that point radicalization should become apparent. I have tried to design a game that starts out with representative government, but has the potential to very easily devolve into strikes, revolts, and political coups.

My intent is not to give the students clear goals or victory conditions, but rather to allow them to pursue their own goals.

I assume that some students will try to maximize their own wealth. Others, I except, will be radicalized by the fact that they start out with unequal wealth and income to try to punish wealthier players, even at the expense of improving their own position. I have also tried to leave room for them to try to act in ways that are ideologically- motivated. But with political representation also divided unequally. I also expect that some students will attempt to work for the common good, but the rules of the game do not give a single clear path toward improvement.

I’m sure that several aspects of the game will need to be rebalanced after trying it out once or twice — in particular, a rebalancing of the military bonuses. As currently designed, it’s only possible for one side of the civil war to enact policy at a time. This also means that government and the designation of revolutionaries may switch repeatedly — i.e. the “right-wing” government becomes the “revolution” for the rounds after they are losing the war, and become the “counterrevolution” for rounds when the are in power. This is a feature that I realize is not entirely accurate, but simplifies the game.

I don’t know if I’ll ever get around to playing this, but it was fun to think about.