The 2026 John Locke Essay Competition introduces Public Policy as a new standalone category, reflecting the growing need for interdisciplinary thinking in addressing complex societal issues.
The article breaks down the three Public Policy prompts, highlighting how each question requires students to engage deeply with both theory and practical implications.
A New Category for 2026
One of the most significant changes to the John Locke Essay Competition this year is the introduction of Public Policy as a standalone category. Previously, students could select from the diverse topics of Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law. But for this year, the addition of Public Policy reflects a growing recognition that some of the most important questions facing societies today do not fit neatly within a single academic discipline.
For more details about this change in 2026, please refer to 2026 John Locke Essay Competition: New Themes, Updated Junior Category, and Key Changes from 2025.
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Q1: What discount rate should be applied to long-run environmental policies? Why?
What the question is asking: This is an ethical-economic question about how much we value the future. Should harms that occur decades from now be viewed as less important and less pressing than current harms and risks, and if so, by how much?
How to approach the question:
The first step in tackling this prompt is to ensure you have a clear understanding of the term “discount rate.” A discount rate, in the context of environmental policy, determines how much weight we give to harms and benefits that might occur decades or centuries from now compared to those that occur within a shorter timeframe.
Focus on answering whether we have genuine obligations to generations that do not yet exist. Students should explore how different schools of thought address this question, and their essay should explain the core disagreement between positions and take a defensible stance on which framework is more appropriate and why.
Strong essays will also look into where low-discount-rate thinking is already practised. Some governments and international bodies have built long-term thinking into their policy frameworks, treating future environmental costs as roughly equivalent in weight to present ones. Examining where this approach is already used, and what it produces in practice, will ground your argument in real-world evidence rather than just pure theory.
Q2. Which unintended consequence was most devastating, and why did we fail to predict it?
What the question is asking: This question asks students to identify a single case where human action caused catastrophic unintended harm, argue that it was the most devastating of its kind, and then explain why it was not foreseen.
How to approach the question:
Begin by understanding first what makes an instance an “unintended consequence.” An unintended consequence is an outcome of a human action or innovation that was not anticipated by those who caused it. From there, students should commit to a single case rather than surveying many. The question offers genuine freedom of choice, and students have a wide range of topics to write about, such as European microbes in the Americas, the Industrial Revolution, the invention of plastic, and artificial intelligence. The challenge in this first part of approaching the question is both justifying what constitutes an unintended outcome and selecting a topic where novel insights are scarce.
Then, the second part of the question, why did we fail to predict it, is where the most sophisticated analysis would be found. Students should be able to distinguish between different types of predictive failure: consequences that were genuinely unknowable given the available knowledge at the time, consequences that were foreseeable but ignored due to economic or political incentives, and consequences that arose from the complexity of interconnected systems where no single actor could have traced the full causal chain.
Q3. Should vaccination be mandatory in a public health emergency?
What the question is asking: This question asks you to weigh polarizing topics and two fundamental principles that point in opposite directions: the individual’s right to control their own body, and the state’s obligation to protect citizens from harm caused by others.
How to approach the question:
The question is controversial and very relevant, especially in recent years. At the heart of this debate is the concept of bodily autonomy, a principle rooted in Locke’s theory of self-ownership and the harm principle. Students should be able to explain both principles clearly before arguing for one over the other.
An essay that dismisses bodily autonomy as selfishness, or that dismisses the harm principle as authoritarian overreach, will not convince a careful examiner. The tension between these principles is genuine and practically felt. To write an essay that stands out, acknowledge that tension before delving into explaining why one ultimately outweighs the other in the specific context of a public health emergency.
Strong essays will also engage seriously with the empirical evidence. Students should examine what actually happened in places that implemented vaccine mandates compared with those that did not, by looking at immediate outcomes such as mortality rates and hospital capacity, as well as longer-term political and social consequences, such as erosion of public trust, polarisation, and the entrenchment of anti-vaccine sentiment.
78% of Aralia Students Win Prizes in the John Locke Essay Competition
General Tips for the Public Policy Category
The questions are definitely thought-provoking and while it’s understandable to rush brainstorming for an angle to write about, it helps to pause and strategize about your writing process. Below, we share some tips so you can navigate writing with a balance of creativity and an effective strategy.
Understand that Public Policy sits at the intersection of multiple disciplines
A Public Policy essay is at the intersection that brings out the insights you could extract from both. The best essays in this category will combine a clear ethical framework with real-world evidence, and will show that the student understands how values and incentives interact in actual policy decisions. If your essay is all theory and no evidence, or all case study and no argument, it will fall short of what the category demands.
Anchor your essay to John Locke, then move beyond him
The competition bears Locke’s name for a reason, and all three Public Policy questions this year connect directly to his ideas: intergenerational responsibility, the limits of individual liberty, and the role of the state in protecting citizens. Demonstrating familiarity with Locke’s core framework signals intellectual seriousness, then explain where his ideas have been supported, challenged, or complicated by later thinkers. Do not simply copy or list existing ideas; add your own insights to extend the academic discussion.
Take a clear, committed position
Examiners are looking for students who can construct and defend a thesis. State your position clearly in the introduction with a categorical statement, defend it throughout the body of the essay, and do not abandon it in the conclusion in favor of vague balance.
Define your key terms early and stick to them
All three questions this year hinge on contested concepts: “devastating,” “emergency,” and “discount rate.” Examiners will notice if you use these terms loosely or shift their meaning mid-essay. Research how the words are applied to help ensure you are using them properly and in the context they ought to be used.
2026 John Locke Competition Preparation Courses
In this course, students receive a comprehensive roadmap to a winning essay, from a guided analysis of primary and secondary sources to the development of an original, compelling thesis. Students will learn how to think critically, evaluate complex philosophical and political ideas, and structure arguments properly. They will be taught by top-rated instructors and winning coaches to master the art of academic writing.
Aralia’s students have consistently excelled in this prestigious competition, achieving Grand Prizes, Third Prizes, and High Commendations. If you are ready to challenge yourself and elevate your academic profile, join Aralia’s Prep Class and start your learning journey toward becoming a recognized global thinker.
John Locke Essay Competition Prep
In the John Locke Essay Competition Prep course, students will learn the ins and outs of essay writing, in preparation for entering the competition. We offer prep classes in all categories. Students will choose one topic, compose an original thesis and argument, and write an essay for submission. Students will engage in a guided analysis of primary and secondary sources, develop critical thinking skills, and discover interesting insights. In addition to the group classes, students will receive guidance on their individual projects from the instructor through one-on-one sessions.
