Monopoly haters, unite! Board game teaches bad capitalism, says authors

by Jay Allen (Subscribe to Jay Allen's posts) Dec 28th 2005 10:21AM

In researching my previous article about The Game of Life, I came across this fascinating dissection of Monopoly from Benjamin Powell and David Skarbek, two writers for The Mises Institute. Ludwig von Mises was from what became known as The Austrian School of economics, which argued that capitalism is the best known system for allowing individuals to autonomously coordinate their economic activity. In short, said the Austrians, your choices are capitalism or dictatorship - pick one. The Austrian viewpoint dominates this article, which argues that the popular Parker Brothers game depicts an unrealistic version of capitalism. In reality, says Powell and Skarbek, the consumer is king, and can always take his business elsewhere. But Monopoly is a game ruled by capricious landlords who raise rents and bankrupt their fellow players without remorse. It's ironic, say the authors, that Cuba and the Soviet Union both at one time banned the game, as it depicts how things work more in a centrally regulated economy than in a capitalist one.

I've always hated Monopoly. Even when I've thought I loved Monopoly, I've ended up hating it by the end of the game. A typical monopoly session lasts an eternity, and always ends up with at least one person pissed off enough to throw something. I avoid playing it at all costs, and don't encourage my kids to haul it out of the closet; when we do, I insist on modifying the rules to make it less vicious. Powell and Skarbek have some great points, even if their "Capitalism! Capitalism! Rah rah rah!" cheerleading is over the top. The game turns life into a dice roll. It doesn't even make a show of encouraging any positive behaviors, such as compassion and charity. If you want to teach your kids about money, don't rely on Parker Brothers to do the job.

Comments (12)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

monica 12-28-2005 @ 11:54AM

omg get a life monopoly is a game its fun and its educational why do people like you have to ruin everything for kids its amazing i wonder what your kids do for fun

That Girl 12-28-2005 @ 12:01PM

I too hate monopoly with a passion. I hate it for a different reason tho - my mom taught us to play what she called "Christian Monopoly" which meant that whenever one of us ran out of money she (the bank) slipped us some under the table.

Talk about the longest, most pointless game in the entire world!

Bring me Yatzee, bring me Life, bring me anything but monopoly!

Jay Allen 12-28-2005 @ 1:32PM

"its amazing i wonder what your kids do for fun"

We play Sorry, Life, Legos, K'nex, Xbox, Magnetix, Scrabble, Boggle, etc. And, like I said, we do have Monopoly and we do play it once in a while. And every so often, we actually go outside and play in the fresh air.

RobertinBellevue 12-28-2005 @ 4:20PM

Aside from the fact that they take families away from the TV and the computer, most people forget the basic value gained from playing board games. Kids learn to wait their turn (like learning to be patient in traffic), they learn to be humble winners and -- more important -- gracious losers. I see way too many parents behaving with fewer and fewer of these good traits so I can see why so many kids grow up the way they do these days. And OMG -- heaven forbid that we also get to sit around a table engaging in something called conversation (without having to text-message on the PC or cell phone)! I have no idea where kids are supposed to learn these basic skills today. Not from teachers or schools, heaven forbid! That would be an intrusion in how we "raise OUR children!"

David 12-28-2005 @ 8:26PM

I'm always surprised at people's reaction to this article. It is not intended to excoriate or impeach the game of Monopoly or Parker Brothers. It is simply a way to introduce readers to economics in a more familiar manner than mathematics or complex graphs. Allying certain unfamiliar ideas with something as familiar as Monopoly is just a pedagogical device, not a cry for social change.

Yehuda 12-29-2005 @ 2:35AM

Ah, yep. It's good to see someone in the mainstream media admit the truth. Monopoly was a good game for its time, even though it was basically stolen from an earlier game, The Landlord Game.

Like computer games, boardgames have evolved over time. There are thousands of much better board games that play in reasonable time, have no player downtime, are fun for all ages, have beautiful components, and are not an endless series of "roll and move" or trivia and yet don't require a lifetime to understand how to play.

Have a gander at http://www.boardgamegeek.com to see what people like you have found as alternatives to the same old same old produced by Hasbro. Check out the top 200 games as a start. Good introductory games include Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, and Ticket to Ride.

Yehuda Belinger

Jerusalem Strategy Gaming Club

http://www.jergames.com

Kate 12-29-2005 @ 7:58AM

Oh man! I love most board games (and can't wait until my daughter is old enough to play) but I've never been able to stand Monopoly. I can totally relate when Jay says:

"Even when I've thought I loved Monopoly, I've ended up hating it by the end of the game. A typical monopoly session lasts an eternity, and always ends up with at least one person pissed off enough to throw something."

That describes my family's relationship to Monopoly exactly!

moshe klass 12-29-2005 @ 4:04PM

Same comment as Mr. Berlinger. There are some incredible games out there that don't have large adv. campaigns and aren't typically sold in dept stores or toy stores. The 3 that he mentions, Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, and Ticket to Ride are among the more popular and easier to catch on to. These games take less time than a Monopoly or Risk game and are not anymore complicated. Additionally, by the end of the game there are often 2 or 3 players in contention.

Carcassone is about $10 to $12, Catan $25 to $30 and Ticket to Ride about $30. Check out boardgamegeek.com for more info.

snooze 12-30-2005 @ 12:40PM

Thirding Yehuda's comments, but also...

The games mentioned are all very good, although I think Ticket to Ride would be the best of those to start with. Other options to consider:

- Shadows Over Camelot: a great family game where everyone plays together to beat the system (except, there just MIGHT be a traitor amongst you!)

- Conquest of the Empire: if you really like Risk, but want more strategy and less luck

- That's Life!: a simple roll-a-die-and-move-your-piece game with a nice twist and a "board" that's different every time.

- Ingenious: if you like dominoes-style games where you play tiles in various positions/configurations

- Puerto Rico: if you're really crazy about board games and want a challenging game where you have to outthink 4 of your buddies

Information on all of these is, of course, at www.boardgamegeek.com

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