The Real Monoly

You need: a Monopoly game (any version will do); and at least three players.If you have more players, everyone should be divided into three teams. One person (the person newest to the game) will be the actual player, and the rest of the team are advisers to the player.

Directions:

1) Following the regular rules of the game, play 6-10 rounds of the game. At the end of the game write up a mini accounting report that includes: Estimated income (per turn), wealth (in dollar amounts) at the end of the game, and a listing of real property.

2) Take a break, then come back for a 2nd game. For this game, you will follow the “supplemental rules” of the game.

Rules for Hats (could also be other token, depending on your version of the game- the actual token isn’t as important as the different rules for each player)
You are allowed to play Monopoly by the regular rules

Rules for Horses
You are allowed to play by the regular rules. However, at any point during the first five turns, the Hats can demand all your property and all but $200 of your cash. The Hat may make this demand once. After that, you may continue to play by the regular rules of Monopoly.

Rules for Cars
You start the game with $200. For the first five turns you are allowed to have no more than $200 at a time. Any additional money must be given to the Hats. You are not allowed to buy any property for the first five turns. In the sixth and seventh turn, you are allowed to buy property, but only on the properties between the “Go” square and the “Jail” square. After the seventh turn, you may play by the normal rules of Monopoly.

After 6-10 rounds, do a similar accounting report of wealth at the end of the game.

What you’ll notice is that the 2nd game is rigged. It’s a simplistic model, but this model is meant to reflect the reality behind the race-based gap in wealth in America. Like the Horses, Native Americans had their property confiscated by European colonizers. Like the Cars, most African Americans were not allowed to own property until after the Civil War – and even then, Jim Crow laws or biased business practices prevented them from buying property in many communities. Historical events have led to a race-based wealth division that has been hard to break down.

Finally, post a short reflection of your experience playing the game to the discussion board. Even in the rigged game, everyone was playing by the same rules in the last rounds; did they seem fair?