Learning about fiscal policy may seem boring to some. Add in a game of Monopoly and it’s a whole different story!

Immokalee High School teacher Diana McGowen found the idea online and was able to tweak the game to cover concepts taught in her 12th-grade Economics classroom. “Students have to write down data based on the components of Gross Domestic Product and then compare different years to find out if it is increasing or decreasing. The second part of the game has to do with what Congress does in different stages of the business cycle, for example recession or expansion.”

The students learn when Congress will increase their taxes (during an expansion) or decrease their taxes (during a recession).

McGowen’s Fiscal Policy Monopoly involves groups of five students:

• Mayor: Reviews the rules for Monopoly and ensures rules are followed.

• Banker: Handles the money.

• Real Estate Agent: Keeps up with property.

• Economist: Records spending and computes Gross Domestic Product.

• Recorder: Writes down properties and personal banks.

The assignment is to play Monopoly while keeping track of items that would be counted toward Gross Domestic Product. In addition to the real Monopoly rules, McGowen added the following:

1. Buying property and falling on other people’s property is considered consumption spending.
2. All construction (houses, apartment buildings) and railway purchases go under investment spending.
3. Each time someone lands on “GO,” the government pays $200 extra as a service for cleaning up the property.
4. Each time someone is “Just Visiting” in jail, it increases Exports by $10.
5. Similarly, when someone lands on “Free Parking,” it increases Imports by $10.
6. After Year 1 and each subsequent year, Congress (the teacher) instructs the students to either implement contractionary fiscal policy (increase income taxes to $250 and decrease government spending—passing GO—to $100) OR expansionary fiscal policy (decrease income taxes to nothing and increase government spending—passing GO—to $400).

What a creative way to make a topic come alive!