A League of Their Own
I have to admit, I never understood the rules of Fantasy Baseball, or any fantasy sports league for that matter. It seemed so complicated to me, yet beer-guzzling frat boys nationwide could grasp the rules. Go figure. Now one of those fantasy sports league fanatics has come up with a game that is still confusing but worthwhile to learn – Fantasy Congress.
Started by a group of students at Claremont McKenna College, Fantasy Congress is played by similar rules as any fantasy sports league (or so it claims on the site – I have no idea). But the idea behind this game is about more than just giving political junkies an avenue to challenge each other; it aims to get people involved in the legislative process and even help students learn about how the process works.
According to the site, the mission of Fantasy Congress is “to involve individuals in the legislative process and the daily goings-on of Congress by means of computer simulation…By inspiring people to care about government as much as they care about sports, Fantasy Congress hopes to encourage government transparency and responsibility while educating the governed.�
A recent New York Times article described it as game for “geeks,� “wonks� “policy enthusiasts� and “government aficionados,� but I think it appeals to anyone who is politically minded and/or intellectually curious.
You get to pick a “team� of 12 House members and 4 senators, who can earn you points by introducing a bill (5 points) and moving it through Congress all the way to getting it signed by the Prez (50 points). You get various points as the bill moves along the legislative process. Every week you get to update your team. So, if for example, one of your “team� members is forced to resign because he sent naughty emails to young boys, you can chuck him and pick a scandal-free Congressman.
I’ve signed up, picked my team and am anxious to see what next week’s legislative session brings. I’m looking to this more as an educational opportunity more than a competition – for now.