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Accounting History And Governmental Inquiries: An Experiment In Adversarial Roleplay, R. J. Craig, A. J. Greinke

Accounting Historians Journal

Governmental inquiries where accounting is a central focus are a rich resource for injecting much needed historical content into accounting courses in higher education. An adversarial roleplay recreated a Wage Stabilization Board hearing in Washington, D.C. which, in 1952, led to President Truman's seizure of the American steel industry and ultimately to a constitutional crisis. The roleplay centered on the accounting issues debated by that Board in response to a highly provocative submission by W. A. Paton on behalf of the steel industry. The roleplay revealed strong support for recourse to such historical materials in providing an enjoyable, stimulating and …