School for Scandal

The government was notoriously corrupt. Counterfeiting was rampant. Small businesses were ruined by rocketing inflation. Bribery of public officials was commonplace, and police kept dossiers on everyone. In the midst of the chaos, a dictator seized power and restored order. It was part of an all-too-real experiment in government by a seventh-grade class in California.

Teacher George Muldoon, attempting to demonstrate the inner workings of a capitalist democracy, helped his students set up a mock country. A President was elected, magistrates appointed, money printed, laws written and small businesses established.

But the students were as adept as their elders at beating the system: policemen were bribed, banks defrauded, and a Cabinet Secretary set up a counterfeiting ring. The police, christened with the Orwellian title Department of Beautification, fingerprinted everyone.

When Muldoon learned what his students were up to, he exclaimed, "My God, we've got another Watergate!" and promptly declared himself dictator. All but five of his 27 students had participated in the corruption. When asked afterward what they liked about the project, the students cited money dealing, counterfeiting and blackmail.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.