Certain kinds of extracurricular activities develop interpersonal, leadership, and participatory skills that are important to citizenship and politics. In this research, the focus is on simulated legislative debate and the question is how such activities might contribute to persistent gender differences observed in elite political participation in adulthood. Specifically, gender dynamics, interaction, and success of students participating in a national competition of legislative debate were analyzed. Data came from the 2001 John C. Stennis National Student Congress sponsored by the National Forensic League (NFL). Women are distinctly underrepresented among participants and are significantly less successful in the competition. The young women are less likely to exhibit behaviors high in verbal and nonverbal dominance, but those who engage in aggressive verbal behavior rebutting and referencing others are more likely to be successful. The competitive simulation of legislative debate reproduces gender status hierarchies and rewards masculine behavior in political learning. Includes two notes and four tables. Contains 25 references. (Author/BT)