Rules of the Game

WONDERWORKS and faculty of the SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES and the SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, RICE UNIVERSITY present an exploration of democracy via history, political science, law, public policy/administration, philosophy, and classics.

16 June - 18 July 2025 | 10AM - 4PM, M-F | Rice University

The pesky nature of democratic life is that it has no comfortable rigidity; it always hangs by a thread, never quite submits to consolidation or solidification, is always being challenged, always being defended.

E. B. White “Temple of Democracy,” New Yorker, 26 February 1949

How societies manage themselves, and to what ends, are questions that challenge human understanding, ingenuity, and even patience. Rules of the Game will focus on the political, legal, and governmental complexities of democracy in the United States and elsewhere, grounded in the here-and-now but reaching back through history for perspective. Through lectures, readings, case-studies, films, and field trips, you'll gain a deeper, more nuanced appreciation of the values and competing interests that shape modern life and civic culture.

Rules of the Game will help you explore some of the avenues you may wish to consider for study in college and beyond. But if you simply want to be a better informed, more effective citizen, it can also help cut through the superabundance of noise amplified by the digital environment. To that end, you’ll have access to the wisdom of some of the greatest thinkers and doers of all time (many famous, others under-the-radar), shared with you by faculty from Rice University, plus others drawn from the worlds of government, law, and politics.

Mornings begin with a lecture and follow-up q & a. Afternoons typically start with a tutorial discussion of assigned readings, followed by a thematically-related documentary or narrative film. An all-day field trip to the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs of the University of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas School of Law, and the Texas Supreme Court is included, as well as an afternoon visit to the Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University. There are no prerequisites for this program, but students should be habitual and critical readers.

Rules of the Game is open to high school students of special promise and ability who will be entering grades 10, 11, or 12 next fall or who will have just graduated from high school this spring. Admission is competitive – Wonderworks requires at least a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average plus a high level of achievement in relevant core subjects and commensurate scores on relevant sections of the PSAT/SAT or ACT.

Tuition and fees (not including parking) are $1000. Scholarships are available in the form of full-tuition waivers, but only for students demonstrating true financial need. Admissions are determined on a need-blind basis. No student will be prevented from participating in the program because of inability to pay tuition.

The program is held at the Rice University campus, Monday – Friday, except 19 June and 4 July. Rules of the Game is meant to be enjoyable, but is also challenging and requires focused effort and commitment.

Please apply online starting 1 January. To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 1 June. Early applications are encouraged and will receive early decisions. Late applications will be considered only if space remains available.

If you have questions or need additional information, please e-mail info@wonderworkshouston.org.