Using of computer simulations in education of public policies (and public administration)

This study aims to illustrate how policy simulation games can be used as an effective learning method in public administration education especially in public policies. For this purpose, a popular simulation game namely “Democracy 3” is examined in terms of its features, in order to conclude its use in education of public policies. In simulation the player has a role of government and makes decisions amoung varios policy ideas. It can be observed how these policy decisions affects the outputs in different policy areas as well as the number and satisfaction level of voters. Including seven policy areas, twenty different categories of voters and over forthy kind of statistical reports, the game is programmed in a complex way to mimic real life policy process. The player strugles to tackle various problems such as obesity, environmental pollution, ghettos, racial crisis, general strike and debt crisis. It is concluded that the simulation introduces different public policies; explains the policy processes of policy decision making, implementation and evaluation; demonstrates complex relationships between public policies, lets the player to observe how different public policies can be applied at different rates to solve public problems. In this context, the simulation can be used in public administration education as well as public policies. Similation can be shown as an example to apply what is learned and learn through practice. Policy simulations like "Democracy 3" can be used as a new method, an auxiliary material or after class activity. Addition: Computer simulations can be seen as an effective tool for transforming theoretical knowledge into practice in the field of Public Administration. Public Administration (a) is an academic discipline focused on understanding the dynamic processes of administrative structures and (b) focusing on ways to improve them. Public administration and public policies are concerned with the development, implementation and evaluation of administrative arrangements. There is a need for mechanisms to implement the theoretical knowledge of public administration and to trigger understanding of real life practice. How public administration and public policies work is explained by various processes, stages and models in theory. In practice, however, this field contains quite different nested components and actors and mutual interaction which may lead unintended or unanticipated consequences. In order to understand the complexity of interactions and to avoid such consequences, it is clear there is urgent need to have such