LSESU Economics Society Essay Competition

1. Questions

There are a total of 5 questions: 

• Professor Sir Christopher Pissarides: As AI and other automation technologies are penetrating the office, employees are loving some aspects of it and hating others. For example, they love that AI is enabling them to work from home one or two days a week, but hate that the boss is using AI to monitor and evaluate their work. How can a modern employer balance the company’s needs with AI against the employees’ objectives and wellbeing?
• Professor Sir Tim Besley: Is it useful to bring social identity into economics in order to understand contemporary policy challenges?
• Professor Christopher Sandmann: What are the best economic predictors for armed conflict and peace?
• Professor Jane Olmstead-Rumsey: How will the pace and economic effects of AI adoption differ from the adoption of previous general purpose technologies like computers, electricity, and steam power?

• Professor Ricardo Reis: Take a country that uses tariffs to eliminate the (large) bilateral trade deficit it has with some of its trading partners, while at the same time runs a large public deficit. What are the consequences of such a mix of policies on its overall current account, its composition, the exchange rate, and domestic employment?

2. Judging Criteria

Each submission is evaluated in 4 areas: 

• Originality
• Quality of argument
• Writing quality 
• Strength of evidence

3. Prizes

• Award for Top 3 from each question: Certificate signed by LSESU EconSoc President and named professor
• Award for #1 from each question: £50 Amazon Gift Card
• Number 1 Overall: Certificate signed by LSESU EconSoc President AND £100 Amazon Gift Card
• Number 1 Offer Holder: Certificate signed by LSESU EconSoc President and LSE Head of Department of Economics, and £100 Amazon Gift Card

4. Resources
Writing resources can be found on the LSESU website.