Radford professor’s Virginia Government Simulation honored by American Political Science Association

The American Political Science Association (APSA) recently honored Chapman Rackaway, professor and chair of Radford University's Department of Political Science, for his efforts in co-creating the Virginia Government Simulation (VGS), a mock legislature that mimics the procedures of the Virginia General Assembly.

Rackaway, along with VGS co-creator Amanda Wintersieck, an associate professor of political science at Virginia Commonwealth University, received ASPA's Outstanding Civic Engagement Project Award for their work.

Additionally, Rackaway received APSA's Established Leader Award when the organization announced the honors at its annual meeting on Sept. 19 in Boston. APSA presents awards each year to honor dissertations, papers, articles, books and career achievement in order "to bring attention to exceptional scholarship," it announced.

Rackaway co-founded VGS to bring together college and university students for a three-day statewide mock legislature in which they could draft, debate, amend and vote on legislation using the actual rules and procedures of the Virginia General Assembly.

"Students do not simply role-play," Rackaway explained. "They research genuine policy questions, write bills that reflect real legislative drafting conventions, engage in floor debate under parliamentary procedure and experience the negotiation and compromise that characterize actual legislative work."

VGS takes place at the state capital in Richmond, on the floor of the House of Delegates - and beginning this year, the Senate, too - and allows students to sit in the same seats as elected legislators.

The inaugural VGS event took place in early October 2024, with five Radford students participating.

"VGS has been especially meaningful to me because it takes what we learn about government in the classroom and makes it feel real," said Therese Root, a junior political science and sociology double major from Fairfax, Virginia. "You have to deliberate, compromise, communicate and actually work through the legislative process with other students from across Virginia."

Root said she is grateful to Rackaway for his mentorship and noted that "it means a lot to know that I was able to contribute to something that has now brought this kind of recognition to Radford's political science department."

Kyle Murray participated in VGS as a freshman in the fall 2025 session. The political science and history double major described the simulation as "fun and realistic," noting the access students had to the actual voting system used by the General Assembly.

"To know that VGS has been honored and commended with the award from the American Political Science Association is truly amazing and humbling," said the sophomore from Fairfax County, Virginia. "Even more so knowing that I had a part in making that happen."