Bullets & Ballots
By: Connor Ferris
What groups are involved, who had the power?
In the simulation there were five groups, the Guerillas, the USA, the Guatemalan Government, the peasants and the Army & Wealthy. In month one the Army & Wealthy had 200 MSU's (Military Strength Units). The Guerillas and USA both had 60 MSU's, the peasants had no MSU's and the Guatemalan Government had 20 MSU's. In the beginning of the 2nd month almost nothing new happened besides the Guerillas beating the Army & Wealthy and receiving 10 MSU's from the Army & Wealthy. Throughout month two nothing else happened. In the 3rd month the Army and Wealthy gave their MSU's to the Guatemalan Government making them have 190 MSU's. The Guerillas joined the peasants and in total had 150 MSU's. The rest of the groups had no MSU's.
How the balance of power shifted and why?
There really was no balance of power in the first place, but the power shifted tremendously because of the election. The Guatemalan Government ended up with the most MSU's because of the election and the Army & Wealthy didn't want the peasants to win. Due to this fact the Guatemalan Government had the most MSU's but the peasants won the election.
How was cooperation and conflict shown in the game?
There was conflict at the beginning of each month because the Guerillas and Army and Wealthy had the chance to launch attacks on each other. There was also cooperation between the Guerillas and the peasants because we joined forces. There was cooperation between the Army & Wealthy and the Guatemalan government because they exchanged MSU's. Treaties were signed between the USA and the peasants. The USA also signed a treaty with the Guatemalan Government.
What role did the USA have on the simulation?
In this simulation the USA observed what was going on and if they didn't like it they would change it. The USA had the ultimate power to truly control the game. They wanted a fair election and peace in Guatemala. They helped keep everything in order without completely being over controlling. Some months the USA would just sit there and watch what was going on and discuss they never really interacted with anyone. They were there to make sure the game went smoothly.
What happens to a country when power shifts, is the effect positive or negative?
When power shifts in a country it can be positive and negative depending on who's side you are on. For example if the Guerillas took over the Government it would be good for the Guerillas and bad for the Government, but the effect on the civilians would be based on the opinion of the individual.
What relationships do you have in your life, how are cooperation and conflict evident?
In my life I have conflicts with my sister but we have to cooperate with each other and figure out solutions to problems to prevent arguments. Also In my life I am moving to Florida with my dad but my mom is staying in NH. In order to do this we are going to need to cooperate and figure out conflicts. We are trying to do this with out getting the courts involved, it will be difficult and we may not agree all the time but we are going to have to cooperate with each other.