Directions for Playing

Politics

RULES FOR 4 PLAYERS. Choose sides, half being Republicans and half Democrats, Partners sit alternately around the table. Lay the two map cards where all can see them. Shuffle the other cards and deal 8 to each player. Place the remaining cards, face down, on the table.

NOMINATION. Player to the left of dealer nominates a candidate for his side by choosing a card from his hand (Democrat or Republican according to the politics of his side), and laying the card, face up, on the table. Next player in the same manner nominates for the other side. Each nomination card should be chosen from a central state, one that has several states adjoining it on the map; the prominence of the candidates being unimportant.

ELECTION. The player having the next turn now examines the cards in his hand to find the card of a state which, on the map, lies next to the state played by his partner. Supposing his side nominated Theodore Roosevelt, of New York, if he holds the card Pennsylvania, he lays it, face up, next to the New York card on the table. If he doesn’t hold a state that adjoins New York, he draws one card from the extra cards on the table, and if still unable to play, next player begins by playing in the same way on the Democratic side. In the election you can play any card in your hand regardless of politics. The cards are named Democratic or Republican according to the vote of the state in 1900.

Thus the play proceeds around the table, each person having one play or one draw in turn so long as he holds a card that can be played on his side. Any state may be played which adjoins a state already on his side of the table. When no one is able to play any longer, the cards still held by the players (called the “Third-party Vote”) are shuffled and dealt again to the players and proceed in turn as before until no one is able to play. Then each side counts its electoral-vote (sum of the figures in upper corner of cards), and the largest vote wins the election. The player who nominated winning candidate deals the cards for the next game.

RULES FOR 6 PLAYERS. Same as for 4, except that only 6 cards are dealt to each.

FOR 2 PLAYERS. Rules are same as for 4, one player being Democrat, the other Republican, the one who does not deal the cards having first choice of party for each game.

IF DESIRED, either nominee may be different from the name on the card, providing the new man be of same party and reside in same state.