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Shipwrecked with John Rawls: Decision Making behind a Veil of Ignorance in a Classroom Simulation

In a classroom simulation that asks students to allocate scarce resources among a group of varied characters, evidence shows that ignorance of one’s character assignment is strongly associated with a more Rawlsian pattern of distribution. When students do not know which character is their own, they tend to support the most vulnerable as they redistribute resources to ensure that nearly all of the characters can survive and thrive. This is particularly the case when students know that a small portion of their grade is determined by the fate of their character. In contrast, a control group of students who worked through the simulation without consequence for their grades were significantly less redistributive and were more willing to sacrifice weak characters. Implications of students’ choices in the simulation segue nicely with class discussions of American social policy.